Witch Way
by Harry50
Summary: Sequel to Witch Daughter. Lillian Potter goes to Hogwarts, meets new people, makes friends and enemies, while her parents keep enlarging the family. Hermione/Harry/Narcissa
1. Chapter 1: On Hogwarts Express

**Witch Way**

Name suggested by _Cateagle_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the recognizable characters, though I wish I did. They are all property of J.K. Rowling and her business associates, except for Lillian and the other characters I invented.**

**A/N:** This is a sequel for Witch Daughter, as requested by some readers. It won't be updated as fast as that story was, as I'm frankly out of ideas about what my characters should do. Any suggestions are welcome. Rated M for later chapters.

**September 2005 **

**Chapter 1: On Hogwarts Express**

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"

"Bye Mr. and Mrs. Potter!"

Lillian, Andrew and Julius were still waving although they could no longer see anybody. The steam and the smoke were obscuring the view and a moment later the train entered a tunnel.

The three children sat down. Julius had managed to find an empty compartment for them, yet many children were still moving in the corridors, looking for their friends or just searching for a place to sit.

"Mom is always worried we may be late, so we always arrive too early." Julius explained, answering the un-asked question.

"Gr'ma made me come early as well, but I stayed to talk with Helen and then my parents. I should have looked for a compartment as well." Lillian sounded apologetic.

"It doesn't matter, as long as we are all together. Aren't you excited?" asked Andrew. He looked much smaller than his age and his excitement was catching.

"It's my third year, you know," answered Julius, "but this train is always fun."

"I'm excited," admitted Lillian. "I've already visited Hogwarts several times, but this time I'm going as a student and I'll have to be sorted into a house. Where would you like to be?" The question was directed at Andrew.

"I don't know. My brothers were Gryffindor, but they were really brave. I don't think Slytherin would be appropriate, but anything else should be fine…"

"I hope to be in Gryffindor, just like my parents, but Ravenclaw may be just as appropriate for me and I also have a friend in Hufflepuff, you know."

"Yes, we've already met Joanne. She seems to be nice, but too strict," commented Julius.

The compartment door was opened and a small blonde peeked in. "May I join you? I can find no empty compartment and I don't know anybody," she said. Lillian noticed a slight French accent.

Andrew seemed to have lost his tongue and Julius was looking at Lillian, as if to get her approval.

"There's room enough in here," Lillian shrugged.

"Oh, zank you!" said the girl. "I'm Dianna," she added, extending her hand towards Lillian.

"I'm Lillian, and these are my friends Andrew and Julius. Would you like us to help you with your luggage?"

"Zanks, but it is not necessary. My Maman has already taken care of it. I have only this with me," the girl said, pointing to her shoulder-bag.

"Are you French?"

"Not really. I was born in England, but my parents sent me to France, to stay with some distant relatives, shortly after I was born."

"Why would they do that? Don't they love you?"

"They sent me away because they loved me and didn't want to put me in danger. There was a great war some time after we were born, didn't you know?"

"Oh, I know about it. Mom sent me with my grandparents to Australia to keep us safe, but we came back once the war was over."

"My parents couldn't take me back. They lost almost everything during that war and couldn't give me what I was already getting with my relatives. Mom used to visit me at least once a month and my older brother visited a few times as well. Do you have any siblings?"

Lillian smiled. "Well, I have my brother James and my baby sister Rose. Then there's Teddy who lives with us and Helen, who's really my aunt but is four years younger than me."

"So, you are the eldest?"

"Yes, although I sometimes feel it is more of a burden than a privilege."

Dianna smiled. "I grew with four other children. Two were older than me, so I wouldn't know about being the eldest."

Julius was listening to the girls and Andrew seemed to finally come back to his senses, evidenced by the camera he started using, taking pictures of the two girls.

"Where would you like to be sorted?" asked Julius.

"My brother would like me to be in Slytherin, yet I would like anything but," answered Dianna.

"Why?"

"Well, I've heard some rumors that most Slytherins are cruel and selfish. I wouldn't like to spend seven years in such company and I hope I'm better than that!"

"But you say your brother was there…"

"Yes, he was there and my parents and grandparents as well, but I'm not proud of it at all."

"My father used to be the head of Slytherin house for many years", noted Julius quietly.

"Your father? What's his name?"

"He was called Severus Snape…"

"Snape? I've heard this name! Let me think…" Dianna looked pensive for a long moment and then brightened up. "Yes, he was potion master and spied against Voldemort. He was made Headmaster for awhile until he was killed by Voldemort's snake. He's got the Order of Merlin, first class for his deeds – I've read it all in 'Hogwarts – A History'."

"You've read that book? That's nice!" commented Lillian.

"Yes. I love to read about how Harry Potter fought against Voldemort and killed him…"

"Dad told me he didn't really kill him. Dad only tried to disarm Voldemort, and the wand turned in mid-air, sending Voldemort's curse back to him."

"Are you saying that Harry Potter is your father?" Dianna sounded very skeptical.

Lillian didn't have to answer. "Lord and Lady Potter are Lillian's parents," Andrew said proudly.

Dianna flopped down on the bench. "I didn't know he was so old. I thought he was the same age like my brother," she finally said.

"Oh, my parents are quite young – my Dad had his twenty fifth birthday last month. None of their friends have children my age."

"Twenty five – just like my brother…" murmured Dianna. She then looked at Lillian again. "I think we may be very distant relatives."

Lillian shrugged. "Mom says that most pure-blood wizard families are related to some extent, as they were too prejudiced to marry non-magical partners."

"That may be true, but the relatives who took me in are descendants of the same family the Potters came from."

This picked Lillian's interest. "Dad had never had a chance to learn about his ancestry. His parents were killed when he was just a baby and most of the family documents were destroyed. He only managed to trace four generations back before reaching a dead-end."

"Well, this is what I learned about that branch of the family: The Marquis De-Poitier had his youngest son sent as an ambassador to the English court, where the young man fell in love with one of the ladies and settled there. Some time later he was of great service to the king and was rewarded by becoming a Marquis himself, the first in the line of Potter. A few generations later, one of the children of De-Poitier was becoming enthralled with dark-magic. He started practicing it, to the dismay of his family, becoming a 'Malfoy' – a doer of wrong. He was banished from France and found asylum in a remote place in England. His descendents continued using dark magic. My father even supported Voldemort and is spending the rest of his life in prison for his deeds…"

"So – you are a Malfoy?" Lillian sounded quite surprised.

"Yes, but I'd rather be called De-Poitier, as I was called in France. I'm not proud of what my ancestors did and certainly not of my father and my brother – Draco."

"What about your mother?"

"She only cares about me and my brother. She would fight anybody who would threaten us, light or dark. She told me she helped your father during the last battle and he testified in her favor during her trial. You will see her soon – she is teaching at Hogwarts now."

Lillian was overwhelmed by what she had just heard, yet it made sense in a weird way. She could sense that Dianna was sincere and was telling the truth as she knew it. She also knew that her father would be delighted to find some more about his ancestry, yet being related to the Malfoys was not welcome news.

She examined the girl again. She noticed Dianna's aura – it was bright and wide, on par with her own, and had definite lines of red and gold in it. Her mind seemed to also be similar. She could sense an intense carving for knowledge, a lot of courage and blatant honesty, barely withheld by the French high-class manners.

Lillian smiled. "Well, it's about time to leave the past behind us and face the future together. Friends?" She held her hand to Dianna.

"Friends!" confirmed Dianna, pressing the offered hand tightly.

They spent the rest of the train ride getting to know each other. Joanne joined them during the afternoon and the five of them became good friends before they reached Hogsmead station.


	2. Chapter 2: Sorting

**Witch Way**

Name suggested by _Cateagle_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the recognizable characters, though I wish I did. They are all property of J.K. Rowling and her business associates, except for Lillian and the other characters I invented. **

**Chapter 2: Sorting**

"Firs' year over here!" boomed Hagrid's voice.

Andrew, Lilly and Dianna walked with the other first-year students towards the huge man. Hagrid noticed them "Hi, Andrew! Nice to see you here, Lilly! You look wonderful in these robes. Who is your friend?"

"Hi, Hagrid, this is Dianna De-Poitier. She grew in France and is now joining us at Hogwarts."

"Nice to meet you, Miss De-Poitier," Hagrid said, before raising his head again and calling out loud "Firs' year over here!"

A few minutes later they were seated in the small boats, heading over the lake towards the castle. Lillian, having visited Hogwarts many times before, thought she would not be excited when she saw it. She was quite surprised when the illuminated silhouette of the castle came into view. It looked more magnificent than she could imagine it and she felt proud to be spending the next seven years in such a wonderful place. Andrew was even more impressed. She had to elbow him and remind him of his camera before he started snapping. Dianna sat silently. Lillian could sense her tensing up. Dianna was worried about the sorting and about her relations with her mother. It would be the first time they would have to see each other daily, and Dianna was unsure about how that would go.

The boats reached their landing. The children got out of the boats and followed Hagrid to a large wooden door. Hagrid knocked three times. The door was opened by a small man. He looked even smaller compared to Hagrid.

"Professor Flitwick, these are the firs' year."

"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them in," the small man said. He then turned to the children who were about his height: "Follow me. The sorting will start as soon as we are there."

Lillian could sense the children becoming more frightened and tense as they approached the Great Hall. They were led into a room adjacent to the great hall. "Please wait here. You may straighten your clothes and make yourself comfortable for the sorting. Don't be afraid – it will not harm you and won't require you to do anything unusual. Just relax, please. I'll be back in a moment to lead you in." Professor Flitwick sounded very nice and caring.

As soon as the door closed, Lillian heard a scream. The house ghosts were floating in through the walls and some of the children got frightened. She noticed Dianna turn white.

"Don't worry, they are friendly and they wouldn't harm anybody," she told her friend. "Hi, Sir Nicholas!" she added as the ghost flew near her.

"Hi, Lilly. You've grown so fast! Already first year, I see."

"Yes! I hope to be in your house."

"I'll be glad if you do," replied the ghost and vanished through the wall towards the great hall.

"You know them?" asked Dianna.

"I've seen them all, but I only know Sir Nicholas – Nearly Headless Nick – as they call him fondly."

"Oh…" Dianna seemed to want to ask some more, but Professor Flitwick was already at the door, calling them to come out.

They lined up in front of the four house tables. The small professor explained what they were going to do and then started reading the names. Each child whose name was called stepped to the stool, put the sorting head on his head and waited for his house to be announced.

"Abrahms, John," – a moment later the hat cried "Hufflepuff".

"Boot, Hannah," – it took a few seconds before "RAVENCLAW!" was heard.

"Creevey, Andrew" – it took less than a second for the hat to cry out "Gryffindor!"

"Davidoff, Ivan," – A small stocky boy sat on the stool, looking very nervous. It only took a second and then – "Gryffindor!"

"De-Poitier, Dianna" – A long silence followed and then "Ravenclaw!"

Other children followed, each sorted to his relevant house.

"MacDougal, Cyntia" – "Slytherin!" The girl seemed to be pleased with her sorting. A few names later it was Lilly's turn.

"Potter, Lillian" – she walked swiftly to the stool. Despite her previous bravado she was quite scared.

'Oh, a young Potter… and Granger… I should have expected this! Where shall I put you? Brilliant mind… More talent than is fair for one person… Very loyal… Very brave… Multianimagus – that's really rare… Metamorphmagus – just as rare… A lot of power – that may be a mixed blessing, though… empath – that's really nice… and Parseltongue! Even your father was not as difficult to sort!'

Lillian was keeping thinking 'Not Slytherin'. She didn't like going there even before, but after hearing Dianna she was convinced it wasn't right for her no matter what.

'Not Slytherin? You could be great there, with your power and talent… But well, I can't risk making you angry at me – you're just too powerful. So should it be Ravenclaw or Gryffindor? Your mind can surely make you top student in Ravenclaw, but it looks like you will feel better in…'

"Gryffindor!" – The hat shouted.

A few children were sorted next.

"Weasley, Brenda" was the last name on the list. The small redhead had hardly managed to put the hat on when it shouted "Gryffindor!" and the girl's face lightened with a broad smile as she walked to the table and sat across from Lillian.

"I thought I knew all the Weasleys, but I've never seen you!" Lillian said to her.

"There are so many that I don't know them all either. Whom do you know?"

"Well, I know Arthur and Molly and all their children."

"My father is Arthur's youngest brother, but we live near Nottingham, so we don't meet them very often."

Their conversation was cut short as the headmistress stood up to speak to the students.

"Let us all welcome the new students who have just joined us as well as the ones returning after the summer vacation."

She clapped her hands, and the other teachers joined her, followed by most of the students. A minute later she stopped and the others stopped as well. "I'm sure you are all hungry, so – let the feast begin!" She waved her hand and the tables were filled with all kinds of food and beverage.

Lillian, who didn't feel hungry until that moment, suddenly felt she was almost starving, despite the lunch she had eaten on the train. She filled her plate with what whet her appetite most and ate her fill. She noticed that the redhead was eating much more than her and much faster, yet she managed to speak with the other students with her mouth clear. 'Is that also a kind of magic?' she wondered.

Once the last piece of food was eaten, the last drop of juice drank and the last napkin put aside, the tables were magically cleared and the headmistress stood up, ready for the new year announcements.

"I welcome you all once again. This year will bring us many changes, some of which you will already witness tomorrow morning and others will be introduced during the following months."

She looked at her students and her eyes shone with pride.

"Starting tomorrow morning we shall no longer use the long house-tables except during welcome feast at the beginning of the year and the farewell feast at its end. There will be small tables, suitable for small groups and I strongly advice you to make friends in other houses and not only your own. It will help you gain more friends and strengthen our social structure for years to come."

She had to pause as the great hall was filled with the noise of students talking excitedly about the change. She waited patiently for a short while and then cleared her throat to silence the hall again.

"I must remind you that the forbidden forest is still forbidden to all students. We are making efforts to clear it of all dangerous creatures, but it will take at least another year before this task is finished."

Only a few students expressed their disappointment at this announcement.

"Now – off to bed! The prefects will lead the first year students to their appropriate dormitories. Sleep well and come fresh to your first lessons tomorrow. Goodnight!"

A few minutes later, Lillian was already in her dormitory. She admired the four-poster bed with its dark-red curtains. The mattress was just right: springy and smooth, but not too soft. She wondered if the mattress was enchanted to fit itself to the sleeper. She then recalled her promise to write to her parents. Sighing, she took out a piece of parchment. 'Why can't they use normal paper?' she thought. She wrote quickly, telling of her train ride, of making a new friend – not going into details – and of the sorting. She let the ink dry and then swept her arm over the parchment, producing an exact duplicate, after making sure nobody was looking. She added some words to each copy and then folded the parchments.

"I'm going to the owlery to send my letters," she announced.

"Don't stay too long – curfew is in half an hour," Brenda advised her.

"Don't worry, I won't" said Lillian. She went out towards the owlery, but once she was sure she was out of sight she turned herself invisible and apparated to the Granger house.

Lillian was standing in Helen's room. The girl was already in her bed, lying on her belly and reading a book.

"Hi, Lilly," she said without even looking at that direction. "I thought you would come a little earlier."

Lilly turned visible. "I had to write these letters to my parents and yours first. I can't stay long as I'm supposed to be sending them now."

Helen turned her book over, to keep it open where she was reading, and then turned to face her niece. "Then you really shouldn't stay too long," she said in a serious tone, betrayed by the smile on her face.

"Of course not, Aunt Helen," answered Lilly and they both started laughing.

"Helen, dear – did you say anything?" Jane's voice came from the living room.

"No, Mum, I was only reading something funny," responded Helen, raising her voice. "We should have silenced this room first," she whispered to Lilly.

"Done!" Lilly informed her a moment later, after waving her hand towards the door and the walls. She sat on the bed, besides Helen and told her all about her day, skipping nothing.

Twenty minutes later she straightened up. "I must leave now. I'll leave the letter for your parents here. You may tell them the owl brought it – I addressed it to you along with them. Just open the window a bit before that."

The girls hugged and Lilly disappeared with a soft "pop" only to reappear near Potter house. She put the parchment she was carrying on the ground and turned herself into a small bird. She put her leg through the knot on the parchment, using her beak to position it correctly. She then turned herself into a brown owl of the kind commonly found at Hogwarts. She checked that the parchment was well tied to her leg and then took flight, landing on the window sill of the kitchen. The window was closed. She tapped her beak to it a few times. Hermione came into the kitchen.

"Oh, it looks like Lilly has kept to her word," she called to the living room, opening the window. Lillian flew into the kitchen, raising her foot to her mother to let her take the letter. She than nipped at an owl treat offered to her and flew away at once.

She landed a few blocks further on a deserted street, returned to her human form, turned herself invisible and apparated to Hogwarts, just a few paces away from the fat lady. She looked around, making sure she was alone and then turned visible again.

"Oh, my eyes," the fat lady complained.

"What is it? Can I help you?" asked Lillian, quite alarmed.

"No, dear, I've just had a weird experience. I thought you appeared out of thin air. I was probably just dreaming."

"Yes, probably," Lillian agreed. She gave the password and entered the tower, returning to her dormitory a minute before curfew.

"What took you so long?" Brenda asked her.

"I got lost at first and went the long way around. I'll have to remember it better next time."

They were soon all in their beds, exhausted mainly by the excitement of the day more than anything else. 'I'll have to check the library tomorrow,' Lillian thought before closing her eyes and falling asleep.


	3. Chapter 3: First Lessons

**Witch Way**

Name suggested by Cateagle

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the recognizable characters, though I wish I did. They are all property of J.K. Rowling and her business associates, except for Lillian and the other characters I invented 3: First Lessons

Lillian woke up early. For a moment she couldn't remember where she was, and then a large smile appeared on her face.

She got up, showered and dressed even before her roommates woke up.

'Now what?' she thought. Her clock showed it was only six-thirty, way too early for breakfast or even for waking up her roommates. She opened her trunk and took out her MP3 player. It was a simple no-name player which could be found at many muggle stores. She plugged in her headphones and turned it on, immersing herself in her favorite music.

"What is this?" she heard somebody asking a few songs later.

Lilly removed her headphones and turned around to see Brenda looking at her in wonderment.

"That's just a music player," she answered.

"I've never seen such an instrument. How does it work?"

Lillian shrugged. "I don't really know the exact details, but it is an electronic solid-state device which you can load from your computer with all kinds of music and play it whenever you want."

Brenda was looking at her as if she was speaking Chinese.

"I've never heard any of those words," she said.

Lilly sighed. "Don't you know anything about the muggle world?"

Brenda shook her head.

"That's simply ridiculous! There are millions of muggles and only a few thousands wizards and witches. One would expect the magic folks to know much more about the muggle way of life."

Brenda looked puzzled.

"Well, it's probably not your fault. I'll have to speak with Au… Professor McGonagall about it. Maybe we should arrange some field trips to muggle areas to get everybody acquainted with muggle stuff…" She sighed again and then explained: "Electronics is the science of controlling electricity in order to achieve many goals. One of them is music. It can be recorded once and then played again and again as many times as you wish. Electronics doesn't normally work in magical environment, but this player was charmed to do just that, so I can use it at Hogwarts. Do you want to listen to some of this music?"

Brenda still looked somewhat puzzled but nodded affirmative. Lilly put her headphones over Brenda's ears and explained: "This button is the Play/Pause. You press it once to start the music playing and once again to stop it. Pressing it for more than a second turns the instrument on or off. The arrow buttons move a song forward or backward while the plus and minus buttons control the volume level. Now go on – try it!"

Brenda pressed the button quite reluctantly, but her face brightened as she started hearing the music. She played a little bit with the buttons and then removed the headphones and gave it back to Lillian.

"That's wonderful! I've never known muggles could do such magic!"

"It's not magic. It's technology," Lillian corrected her.

"Whatever…"

They walked together to the great hall.

"Lillian! Over here!" she heard somebody call. She looked around to see Dianna waving at her. She was already sitting at a table with Andrew and another boy.

"Did you sleep well?" Lillian asked her.

"Quite well, but I woke up early. I was too excited to go back to sleep. What is your first lesson?"

"It is herbology, and then lunch and then potions."

"I have the same schedule. It looks like we have these subjects together." Dianna sounded quite happy at the prospect of taking these lessons with her new friend.

"Oh, I should have introduced you: Dianna, this is Brenda Weasley who is my roommate, Brenda – this is Dianna De-Poitier, Ravenclaw. She grew up in France."

The girls shook hands, and Dianna introduced the other boy – a first-year Ravenclaw as well. Brenda had already met Andrew in the Gryffindor common room and needed no introduction. That was lucky, as Andrew was busy taking photos of everyone and everything around him, hardly taking part in the conversation.

Lillian checked her watch as soon as she finished her breakfast. "It looks like we have enough time until our first lesson. Would any of you like to go with me to the library?" Only Dianna seemed enthusiastic about it. They left the great hall together, hopping happily towards the library.

The librarian seemed quite surprised to see the two girls there even before the first lesson of the year. "May I help you?" she asked.

"I wonder if I can find anything about my family history," Lillian answered.

"What's your name, dear?"

"I'm Lillian Elizabeth Potter-Granger."

"Oh!" The librarian sounded quite surprised. She overcame it immediately. "The third row, fourth shelf from the bottom, contains the old families' trees. Look for 'P' there."

The girls needed less than a minute to find the relevant book. It seemed to be one of those enchanted to stay updated. She could see herself, along with James and Rose on the last line, with Harry and Hermione above them and James with Lilly another line up. She followed the tree up until she found the first "De-Poitier". Looking around that point she could find another name with "(Malfoy)" besides it and a note stating that Malfoy was removed from the family.

Both girls were excited to find this. For Lillian this looked like the ultimate confirmation of her friend's tale, while Dianna had her first written confirmation for what she had only heard in her family.

"I didn't know Hermione Granger was your mother," she said with owe. "She has been my heroine since I first learned about that war."

"She is just Mum for me, but also a very good friend."

"I wish I could say the same about my mother," said Dianna.

They joined their classmates in front of the great hall. A young teacher was standing there already. They didn't pay any attention to him until he called out for them.

"Please come closer," he said.

As they came closer Lillian noticed his face and smiled. He didn't look in her direction but started speaking again: "I am Assistant Professor Neville Longbottom. Please follow me to the green-house, where this and the following lessons would take place."

He scanned the students and then noticed Lillian and Andrew. He only smiled at them before turning around and leading the group to the green house.

The lesson was uneventful. Both Lillian and Dianna seemed to know all the answers and started a friendly competition for more house points, ending in a tie, as expected.

"How did you like your first lesson?" asked them Julius at lunch.

"It was really nice and Nev… Professor Longbottom explained everything really well," answered Lillian.

"You know Professor Longbottom?" Dianna seemed surprised.

"Yes, he used to be in the same class as my parents and is still a close friend. I've seen him at least once a month since I was six, but I didn't know he was teaching here."

"This is his first year," Julius said, "so you couldn't have known before. What is your next lesson?"

"Double potions," Andrew said.

"That's with Professor Malfoy. She's very good; quite strict, but you learn a lot in every lesson," Julius said. "She had also known my father. She gave me detention last year and spent the whole time telling me about how great my father had been."

Dianna seemed to straighten out a bit hearing this.

The potions classroom was still in the dungeons, just like Lillian remembered from her parents' stories, yet it didn't look gloomy at all. The walls were decorated with various images of plants and animals. Only when looking closely one could notice the small notes attached to each drawing, stating the potion ingredients retrieved from the subject of the drawing. The room looked well lighted and full of fresh air despite the small windows. Lillian sat with Dianna and Brenda while Andrew sat at the adjacent table.

"Good afternoon, class. I am Professor Nacissa Malfoy-Black and I'm going to teach you how to brew potions, but first I want each of you to tell me his or her name and tell about himself in a sentence or two. This will help me get acquainted with you, as well as help you get to know each-other."

She turned to the last row on the left. "Let's start here. What's your name, dear, and what would you like to tell us about yourself?"

The addressed student turned red, but a moment later started speaking. "I'm Valentine Shuster from Derby. I didn't know I was magical until I got the letter. I only thought I was weird or unlucky, causing all kinds of problems around me."

"So, are you the first magical person in your family?"

"Not really. It turns out my grand-grandmother was a witch, but none of her children or grandchildren had any magical talents."

"Then – welcome back!" Narcissa smiled at her before pointing to the next student. As Lillian and her friends were sitting in the front row they were among the last to speak.

"I'm Andrew Ceevey. My parents are muggles, but both my older brothers are wizards, and I like photography, just like them."

"Creevey… Was Colin your brother?"

"Yes. He died defending Hogwarts against the death-eaters and the pictures he had taken before he died were recently published by my brother Denis."

"I'm sorry about your eldest brother and I'm happy to have you with us," said the professor before turning her attention to Dianna.

"My name is Dianna De-Poitier. I was born in England, but grew up in France, where my parents hoped I would be spared from the horrors of that war."

"Well, mademoiselle De-Poitiers, I'd like to talk with you after class."

"Oui, Mamman."

The professor didn't comment, but Lillian and some of the other students noted the exchange.

Narcissa turned her attention to the next student.

"I'm Lillian Potter. I like reading and I like having friends, both magical and non-magical."

"You could just say muggles," suggested Narcissa.

"I know, but non-magical folks don't like that term as it has been used as a derogatory term in the past."

"Fine…" Narcissa seemed to think for a moment. "Are you related to Harry Potter?"

Lillian smiled. "He is my father, and my mother is Hermione Potter nee Granger."

Lillian enjoyed the surprised look on her teacher's face. Narcissa seemed to want to ask something, but then changed her mind and turned to the next student.

Two hours later, Lillian was waiting for Dianna near the potions classroom. Her other friends were quite hungry, so she had told them to go to dinner. She could hear some faint voices through the closed door. Despite her curiosity she didn't want to eavesdrop on the conversation. She knew this conversation was very important to both Dianna and her mother.

Dianna came out of the door with expressionless face. Lilly didn't want to bother her with questions. She just held her hand and pressed slightly, as if assuring her of their friendship. She could sense that Dianna was very upset and bewildered. She knew it would take a bit of time until Dianna could talk about her meeting with her mother.

Dianna didn't talk throughout dinner, but Andrew and Brenda chatted so much that nobody seemed to notice.

"Let's do our homework at the library," suggested Lilly after dinner. Andrew and Brenda didn't join them – Andrew was going to show his new friend some of the muggle stuff he had taken with him.

Lilly led her friend to a secluded table and quickly cast a concealment charm. Dianna didn't notice it.

"I believe there's something you want to talk about," said Lillian as she sat down.

Dianna looked at her as if asking how she knew it.

"I've always been quite good at understanding people and deciphering their expressions," Lillian smiled at her.

Dianna sighed and then smiled. "It looks like I can't keep secrets from you…"

She stayed silent for another moment. "You know, it was quite different than what I expected…"

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever Mom came to visit me in France, she would kiss me and hug me at first, but she would soon change into what I called 'teacher mode' – trying to check my knowledge and my abilities and telling me what I should or shouldn't do. Only before leaving she used to change to 'mother mode' again and hug me tightly. Now she is really my teacher, yet she acted more motherly than ever before."

"How, exactly?"

"Well, she first asked me about the train ride and the sorting. She wasn't too surprised that I was sorted into Ravenclaw, but she asked me why it took so long."

"Why, really?"

"The hat wanted to sort me into Slytherin, but I insisted I won't go there. I even threatened to tear it apart if it kept insisting."

"I did the same. It only suggested Slytherin, but was afraid I would burn it, so it let me choose," Lillian told her.

"It let me choose as well, eventually. Why have you chosen Gryffindor?"

"My parents had been Gryffindor, although I considered Ravenclaw as well."

"At least you can be proud about your parents. I don't feel too proud about mine, though."

"Well, your mother seems to be a very good teacher and she did help my father during the last battle. You can be proud about that, at least."

"I suppose you are right."

"What else did you talk about?" asked Lillian.

"Mom asked if I have already made any friendships. I told her I met you in the train and we became friends. She then told me 'Don't let her know you are a Malfoy. She may resent you for that.'"

"And what did you say?"

"I told her it was already too late. That I had already told you and it didn't change anything. I also told her about the family tree we've seen in the library. She was quite surprised."

Lillian smiled at her friend.

"Anyway, she said she was glad that I was in England now and suggested we spend more time together. She said I could come to her with anything that I wanted to talk about and suggested we meet every Friday evening for some time together. I asked if I could bring you along. She smiled and said 'I'd rather spend some time with you alone before I get to know your friends.' In a way, she was a different person than the one I've known before, but in a good way."

Lillian removed the concealment charm and heard immediately "Oh, here you are. I was looking for you everywhere. The headmistress wanted to speak with you, Lillian." Andrew seemed almost out of breath.

"We were here the whole time," said Dianna.

"I didn't see anybody at this table and didn't hear any talking," Andrew said. "Did you do anything to hide?"

Lillian smiled. "I just wanted to assure our privacy."

Dianna looked at her with surprise in her eyes. "Are you able to cast privacy charms? I didn't see you using your wand or saying any spell."

Lillian shrugged. "I didn't. My wand is still in my bag and I didn't use any spell, but please don't tell anybody."

"Wow!" was all that Dianna could say.

"Lillian is very talented, but she doesn't like to talk about that," Andrew informed Dianna as Lillian left the library.

Professor McGonagall was waiting near the gargoyle guarding the staircase to her office. "What took you so long, Miss Potter?" she asked.

"I just had a private conversation with Dianna and Andrew couldn't find out due to the privacy shield."

"You've cast a privacy shield?"

"Well, it was more like a concealment and sound-proofing charm."

"Wandless and silent?"

"I don't know the spells to be used with a wand and I don't really need it." That sounded somewhat apologetic.

"You should pretend to use the wand, at least. It would look less suspicious," suggested the headmistress as they reached her office.

They sat down. Minerva smiled at Lillian. "Well, Lilly, how do you find school?"

"Oh, it's wonderful, Aunt Minnie! I got some new friends and the boat ride was fantastic and I've never known how beautiful Hogwarts looks in the night."

"Who are your new friends?"

"There's Brenda who is my roommate…"

"Weasley?"

"Sure! The same red hair, although I've never met her at the Burrow. Then there's Dianna, whom I met during the train ride. I think we are going to be really good friends."

"De-Poitiers?"

"Yes. She told me she was brought up in France."

"You know she is…"

"A Malfoy? Sure. We've already checked our family trees in the library. I wonder why Dad didn't do it until now."

"Your father was never too keen on reading, unlike your mother. But back to you – don't you mind she is actually a Malfoy?"

"I was, at first. Then I sensed her and found out she is a good and honest person, just as I like. She also has an aura very similar to mine. She would probably turn to be just as powerful a witch."

"Oh, dear!" mumbled Minerva, "just what I need for peace and quiet in school…"

"How did you find your lessons until now?" she asked Lilly.

"Quite interesting. Nev…" she noticed Minerva's face and corrected herself. "Assistant Professor Longbottom is very knowledgeable and likes his subject. Dianna also said he is handsome. Then Professor Malfoy is very kind and teaches well. I managed to learn a few things which were not in the book during her lesson. All I tried at home turned complete failure, but during this lesson I managed to brew a passable potion. That was really wonderful!"

Minerva smiled at the enthusiastic child. "You remember not to show your powers, do you?"

"Well, I've done nothing except for the privacy charm, and if Andrew didn't look for us then Dianna wouldn't even notice it."

"Did you tell her anything about your 'extra talents'?"

"No, but I don't know what Andrew might have told her after I left. And then – Dianna is quite smart. She would eventually find out."

* * *

Please review.


	4. Chapter 4: Friends and Enemies

**Witch Way**

Name suggested by Cateagle

A.N: Text written like $this$ is parseltongue

**Chapter 4: Friends and Enemies**

It was the first Saturday afternoon at Hogwarts. Lillian was sitting in Professor MacGonagall apartment in the castle, sipping on the tea which the older witch served.

"So – how did you like your first week at Hogwarts?" asked Minerva.

"Oh, it's wonderful! I've succeeded making two potions. I only fear I'm no good with my wand."

"Why do you think so? Professor Flitwick told me you showed extreme power with the wand."

"That is the problem, actually. It seems I can't control the power. Whatever I try I get too much power into the spell, with some very disturbing results."

"Can you show me?"

"Sure!"

Lillian took out her wand, pointed it to a piece of scrap parchment that lay on the table and pronounced "_Wingardium Leviosa_" while flicking and swishing her wand, exactly as taught. The parchment flew up to the ceiling at an amazing speed, embedding itself into the stone.

"That is quite impressive!"

"It is, but all I wanted was just to float that parchment a few inches above the desk. I can easily do it without a wand, though."

She demonstrated on another parchment, pointing her finger at it and making it rise and fall as she moved her hand up or down.

"Have you done this in class?" asked Minerva with some worry in her voice.

"No. It was irrelevant," shrugged the girl.

"Fine. I'd rather not have you do this kind of magic at school. It may make others get false ideas about you or about magic."

"But how can I do the same using a wand? Whatever I tried - it's still overpowered."

"You should practice as much as you can. Try to restrain your powers, to channel only the needed amount into each spell."

Lillian didn't seem to like the response.

Minerva sighed. "There may be another way to help you, but I don't like it. I may cast a spell that will bind your magic, allowing only a small portion to still be active, yet you can't learn restraint if I do it."

"Dad used to have such a binding on him. I found it and Mom helped remove it, but that action proved very dangerous. Once released, Dad's magic had a backlash which uprooted most of the trees in our backyard and almost knocked us down as well."

"Wait! Are you telling me that Harry conquered that war while his magic was still bound? That is... unbelievable!"

"I thought my parents have already told you... Anyhow – such a backlash of magic is too dangerous. I wouldn't like to be the cause of such."

"Then you must just practice until you can control your powers – I don't think there is any other way," replied the old witch.

"But how can I do it? If others would see me practice then it would be quite clear I'm more powerful than most. They will fear me, and I wouldn't like that to happen!"

Minerva smiled. "We both know you can go wherever you choose. You may go someplace else to practice, as long as nobody notices."

"Well, I could practice at one of the estates..." said Lillian, contemplating the possibilities.

"Tell me some about your new friends. Who are they? What are they like?" prodded Minerva.

"Well, first there's Dianna De-Poitier."

"You know she is actually..."

"A Malfoy? We've already talked about it and I've told you I knew! She told me as soon as we met, but I could sense she is a good person and I liked her. Even her mother is not bad, once she lets you come close."

"What do you mean?"

"Professor Malfoy is very nice. She loves Dianna dearly, only she doesn't know how to show it. She could use some help on that."

Minerva looked puzzled by the last remark but decided not to ask for clarifications. Instead she asked: "How is Dianna?"

"Oh, she's smart and funny and she loves reading and learning just like me. She is probably very powerful as well, although she doesn't show it."

"What do you mean?"

"She had no problem using the wand and she hasn't yet shown me any wandless magic."

Minerva thought for a moment. "And your other friends, who are they?" she asked.

"Well, there's Brenda Weasley. She is nice and loyal, but not very bright. Yet it may be fun to teach her about muggles."

Lillian turned serious again. "You must really do something about most pure-bloods not knowing anything about muggles. Maybe some field-trips, where they would visit muggle towns and get to know the muggle way of life? It could be really helpful, you know."

Minerva sighed inwardly. The girl's idea was sound, but how could she convince the board? "I'll see what I can do. We can't do it this term, though, but it may be possible on the next."

* * *

Lillian parted from her friends, intending to go to the library and study with Dianna. She was only a few steps away from class when one of the Slytherins, who were taking this class with the Gryffindors, bumped into her, making her crush into the nearest wall. He mumbled something which could be taken for apology and hurried away. She only took a few more steps when another Slytherin bumped into her. This time she felt him approach and managed to escape, only feeling his shoulder brush hers forcefully. She didn't believe it was a coincidence.

Lilly opened her mind and sensed around. Sure enough, a third Slytherin was running towards her. This time she didn't budge. She only erected a strong shield around her and when the boy ran into it he was slammed to the wall and slumped to the floor. She immediately cast a privacy charm around them, keeping her shield as well.

She could now read his mind like an open book, but she preferred to make him speak, so that whoever initiated this harassing would know that his plan was discovered.

"What were you trying to do?" she asked the boy, who was quite big for his age.

"I was asked to bump into you and try to harm you without letting it look intentional." The boy sounded quite frightened.

"Who asked you to do this?"

"It was Crabble. He is sixth year Slytherin perfect. I had to obey." He sounded almost pleading.

"Why?"

"He would have beaten me to pulp, even without magic."

"O.K. I'll handle him. Tell him that his plan failed and that I want to see him." There was a sharp edge of command in her voice. The boy cringed.

"He will beat me…"

"He'd better not, or I'll make his time very difficult."

The boy seemed to lose all fight. He just nodded. Lilly removed the privacy charm and the shield and walked away, not sparing the boy another glance.

* * *

Lillian had heard many stories about her father's adventures at school. The one that impressed her most was the tale of the chamber of secrets. She believed it was true, of course, but she still couldn't imagine the size of it all. She wanted to see it with her own eyes.

After transfiguration, she asked her friends not to wait for her, citing a stomach-ache as the cause for going to the restrooms.

She came into Myrtle bathroom a few minutes later. The ghost was sitting in mid air and crying.

"Hello, Myrtle," Lillian called cheerfully, "Would you like to be my friend?"

The ghost looked at her gloomily. "Why would you want to be my friend? What's in it for you?"

"I just love having friends of all kinds, and then, Dad told me you were his friend as well."

"Who's your Dad?" the ghost asked, looking at the girl with some surprise. She noticed the green eyes and the bushy hair. "Oh, I think I know who your parents are," she said gleefully, forgetting her previous disposition. "Your Dad must be Harry… Harry Potter. Isn't he?"

"Yes he is…"

"Then your mother must be his best friend, Hermione."

Lilly clapped her hands. "Well done! Do you think we can be friends? I'd love to hear the stories of all that you have seen and heard at school, and I can tell you a lot about things elsewhere."

The young ghost seemed eager, yet reluctant. "Will you really be my friend? Some children offer to be my friends just in order to laugh at me later."

Lilly seemed infuriated. "Those are no friends at all! I'll help you punish them if you want to."

Myrtle was touched. "Most of them are not at school anymore, yet I'll be your friend if you want to."

"I'll try and visit you at least once a week and bring you all the gossip that I know. Maybe some of my friends will like to befriend you as well, I'll ask them."

"You are really your parent's daughter, although your mother didn't have many friends at school."

"She has already told me, yet she had my father as her best friend, and that was a full-time occupation."

"Yes, it was. I remember when he and his friend took a professor down to the chamber of secrets…"

"You've seen it?"

"Well, only some of it. I was hiding. I didn't like boys coming here. This is a girl's bathroom, you know. I saw your Dad standing in front of that sink and hissing, and it opened!"

"Which sink was it?"

Myrtle floated to the sinks and pointed at one of them. Lilly looked at it as she came to stand in front of it. She could see the serpent decorations. Without even thinking about it she said _"$Open!$"_

The sink moved, revealing an opening to a large tube or tunnel, leading downwards. It fit her father's tales perfectly, yet she didn't like jumping into the unknown. _"$Stairs!$"_ she said.

The tunnel in front of her changed into a spiral staircase leading down comfortably.

"You are really your father's daughter!" Myrtle said with admiration.

"Would you come down with me?" Lillian asked her.

"Why do you want me to go with you?"

"You're my friend, and the only friend to know about this ability of mine. I'd like to have somebody to talk to when I'm down there."

Lillian started down the staircase while Myrtle floated down near her. It took awhile to reach the lower level.

"Dad told me it was very filthy in here, but now it looks clean."

"It used to be filthy, but the house elves cleaned this corridor and restored it after the war and are keeping it as clean as the rest of the castle now. They were unable to enter the room, though."

"Can you?"

"No. That room is warded so well that none can enter except by opening the door."

They have now reached the door. It looked impressive, with all the serpents carved into it and the locks all around it.

"_$Open!$"_ Lilly hissed again. The locks moved and the door swung open. An extremely strong stench came from the open door.

"_$Close!$"_ Lilly hissed, almost overwhelmed by the stench.

The door closed immediately. Lilly used her wand to refresh the air, just as she had done at Ollivander's.

"Wooh! I don't think I'll go in there any time soon!" she exclaimed. She then thought a little. "Do you think that the Basilisk carcass is still in there?"

"Nobody has taken it out. Nobody has been there since the war, when your mother and her redhead friend came to harvest some fangs. There was no stench then, I believe."

"I'll have to ask Mom about this… Let's go up again."

As Lilly stepped on the staircase, it started rotating like the one leading to the headmistress' office, taking her up with no effort. Myrtle followed.

"Please don't tell anybody of our visit there," Lilly asked the ghost when they were back in the bathroom.

"I'll keep this our secret. When will you come next?"

"I'm not sure. I'll come during the weekend, but I may come earlier if I have some free time. Would you like to meet my friends as well?"

"One at a time, please. I'm all alone most of the time and I find it intimidating when there are many people around."

"Fine. I'll only bring Dianna first. Bye now!"

She waved at the Myrtle and left, leaving a very bewildered ghost behind.

* * *

Lillian didn't hear from the Slytherins until a few days later, when Crabble blocked her way in a corridor while she was on her way to the library to meet Dianna. The sixth year prefect was tall and wide and his muscles were evident even through the school robes. He was flexing hic knuckles in an intimidating way.

"What do you want?" Lilly asked, unaffected by his display. She also sensed that he posted a few other Slytherins to block her way, although not too close.

"Your father killed my brother. I want revenge." The boy exclaimed.

"My father killed nobody, not even Tom Riddle. My father always tries to save and protect. Are you sure you are talking about my father, Harry Potter?"

"Yes. I know there was a fire and he saved Malfoy and Goyle, but he wouldn't be troubled with my brother, leaving him to die."

Lilly recalled the tale of the Room of Requirements. She remembered it was Crabble who started the fire and was consumed by it. "It was your brother who started the fire in the first place. He would not have needed saving had he not started it."

"How do you know?"

"It's in all the books, confirmed by both my parents as well as Malfoy and Goyle. Dad wanted to save your brother as well, although he didn't deserve it, but could not find him. He was probably engulfed by the fire before anything else."

The boy seemed to think hard for a moment, and then gave up the effort. "It doesn't matter. It's still Potter's fault."

He stepped forward menacingly.

"Oh, I don't think it is. Only an idiot would think so." Her wand was already in her hand. _"Lumos"_ she said, making the tip of her wand shine like a miniature sun. The Slytherins had to protect their eyes from the sudden brightness. By the time they could see again, Lilly wasn't there anymore. An hour later everybody noticed something on Crabble's forehead. Looking closer one could see a flashing message: "I'm an idiot."

Two days later, Myrtle was fascinated to hear about the confrontation. She could tell Lilly that Crabble was still staying in his bed, waiting for that flashing message to disappear. She could also tell that most of the Slytherins were quite happy to get rid of the bully, at least temporarily.

Lilly introduced Myrtle to Dianna. They were both surprised to hear about the confrontation between Draco and Harry which had taken place in that bathroom. Myrtle kept her word and told nothing about the chamber of secrets and Lillian's visit there.

Lilly didn't tell the headmistress either. She told her only of her confrontation with Crabble. Minerva was surprised to hear of the power of that "Lumos" spell. She was somewhat concerned about the flashing message, though. "Are you sure you didn't cast any spell on him?"

"I don't even know such a spell and had I used my wand to cast one, it would have probably killed him. Then, the message only appeared about an hour later. How could I do it while still in the library?" She looked so innocent that Minerva had to laugh. She was sure that the message was Lilly's work, yet there was no way to prove it.

* * *

**Please Review.**


	5. Chapter 5: Holidays

**December 2005**

**Chapter 5 - Holidays**

"Where are you going to spend the holidays?"

"I thought Maman will take me to Malfoy Manor and we can stay with my brother, but it turns out he is spending the holidays with his in-laws somewhere in south-America, so we are going to stay here, at Hogwarts."

"Why won't you come with me for the holidays? I'm sure my parents would love to meet you!"

"I promised to stay with Maman. She had been alone long enough."

"She can come along! I'm sure my parents will accept her as well. She helped Dad during the last battle, you know."

"But we are still Malfoys – the bad guys, the enemy..."

"No! You are my friend, regardless of your name."

"I really appreciate our friendship" said Dianna, her eyes suddenly moist. "I think that if you want my mother to come you must have your parents invite her officially. Just telling her would not be enough," she added.

"Don't worry, I'll handle that."

Dianna joined Lillian, Andrew and Brenda on the train. Julius also joined them for most of the ride. He enjoyed telling the younger children about the more advanced magic he was learning and Lillian seemed to listen very attentively to his words. Brenda wasn't as interested in his tales and left the compartment, looking for her older siblings.

The train was getting empty as students rushed out to meet their parents. Only Lillian and Dianna waited in their compartment until the whole hustle and bustle calmed down before grabbing their luggage and stepping out of the train. Professor Malfoy was already waiting there.

"I assumed your parents will be waiting for you here," she said to Lillian.

"Mom is currently working at a muggle hospital. She probably couldn't come. I'll call Dad to see why he isn't here already."

She took her mobile phone out of her pocket and dialed. The others looked at the instrument with some puzzlement.

"Hi, Dad. I thought you will be waiting for me here... Ah, I see... But I'm not alone. Dianna and her mother are here with me... Fine, I'll do that."

She noticed the puzzled expressions. "This is just a mobile phone. I called Dad. He said my sister didn't feel too well so he stayed with her. He suggested we apparate home."

"I can't apparate there – I don't even know where it is!" Narcissa was quite unhappy about the situation.

"That's no problem. Just grab your luggage and hold my hands. I'll take you there."

"You can apparate!" Both her companions seemed shocked.

"I've been doing this since I was four. I can teach you, Dianna. I'm sure you can do it as well."

"I've never even tried," said Dianna.

"Are you sure it's safe?" asked Narcissa.

"I do it all the time," assured her Lillian.

The others held their luggage and grabbed Lillian's shoulder. A moment later they were standing in front of the Potter residence.

"Come in now! Don't just stand and stare," said Lillian.

Dianna stirred and started moving. Narcissa looked around before joining them.

"Hi, I'm home!" called Lillian as soon as she opened the door.

"Lilly!" shouted the small dark-haired boy who shot directly at his sister and hugged her.

"Hi, Lilly!" said the blue-haired boy who followed the younger one.

"Professor Malfoy, Dianna – these are my brother James and Teddy, who is my father's god-son. Teddy – please escort them to the living room. I'll go tell Dad we're here."

Teddy made a face at her but invited the guests to follow him. James held Lilly's hand and went with her to their sister's room.

Harry embraced Lillian warmly and planted a kiss on her cheek. He then looked at her as if searching for changes. "You're growing up so fast..." he noted. "It seems as if I only got to know you a few days ago and now you are becoming a really nice young lady."

Lillian giggled in response. "Daddy, we have visitors and I don't know where you planned to lodge them. Don't you want to say 'hello' at least?"

Harry smiled. "I sure do. Would you keep an eye on your sister while I talk with our guests?"

Lillian looked at her sleeping sister. "Can't James do this? I'd like to show Dianna around."

James straightened up, as if accepting the responsibility. "I'll call you when she wakes up," he promised.

Harry smiled. "Don't do any mischief! Show me I can really trust you!"

James, still completely serious, promised: "I won't do anything to bother her, not until she is well again."

Father and daughter came to the living room, where Teddy was showing his Metamorphmagus talents to the guests.

Harry turned towards the guests and froze for a moment seeing Narcissa. "Mrs. Malfoy…" he finally managed to say, and then noticed blond Dianna and recognized the hair color. He wanted to say something but was cut by his daughter: "Daddy, this is Dianna de-Poitiers, my good friend whom I've already told you about, and this is her mother, Professor Malfoy."

"Glad to meet you, Miss De-Poitiers. Lillian seems to be very fond of you." Dianna brightened hearing this. He turned to Narcissa.

"I'm glad to host you under my roof, although I didn't really expect Mrs. De-Poitiers to be Mrs. Malfoy."

"Well, Lord Potter…"

"Just Harry, please…"

"Ok, Harry. I was sure Lillian has already told you who her friend was. If my presence causes any problem, then I'll leave," she said.

"No problem at all, Mrs. Malfoy…"

"Just Narcissa, please, unless you want me to call you Lord Potter."

"Oh, I can't risk that, can I?" said Harry with a broad smile. "I'm sure Hermione would be quite surprised," he added.

Narcissa was still looking at Teddy. "Isn't he Andromeda's grandchild?" she asked Harry quietly.

"Yes, he is. Andromeda prefers for him to grow up in a magical family, especially since her health seems to be unstable since the war."

"I should make up with her," said Narcissa. "I've never intended us to drift apart, but Lucius' association with the Dark Lord left me no choice. It's difficult to resume our close relations after more than twenty years of separation. I still don't know what to say to her…"

"I would suggest you just hug her and say 'Happy Christmas' to her. She is invited for dinner on Christmas eve along with many other friends, not all magical."

Dianna was enchanted by the personal computer in Lillian's room. "My surrogate family didn't think computers were to be used by children. They only use computers for their businesses, and quite reluctantly at that."

Lillian smiled. "Mum wanted to make sure that I miss nothing of muggle life due to our magical abilities. She finds it outrageous that magical folks know nothing about modern technology and about muggle way of life. It's really absurd, you know. There are so many muggles compared to us that it's just unthinkable to ignore them. Don't you agree?"

"The De-Poitiers family is really part of both magical and mundane society. Most of their close friends are actually muggles, yet they are very conservative about adopting new technologies. This seems to be quite common in the Noble families of Europe, even the non-magical ones."

"They are just too stupid, so it seems! Would you like to play some computer games?"

"Sure!" answered Dianna enthusiastically.

After several games they stopped for a chat.

"I'm still amazed at your ability to apparate so smoothly. How did you learn it?" asked Dianna.

"I didn't really learn it. I was about four years old when I first apparated. I was sitting in my room – I was still living with my grandparents at that time – and I wanted something from the kitchen. The next moment I was in the kitchen. I actually fell down, as I was just sitting on air. It frightened me very much at first, but then I found a book describing apparition and I found out it was quite common for magical folks to do it..."

"You read books at four?"

"Well, yes. My gr'ma taught me to read when I was only three. She was tired of my nagging her to read yet another book for me."

"Wow! I learned to read at five, and I thought I started early." Dianna seemed to be at a loss of words.

"So, do you want to try and learn apparition?" asked Lilly.

"Sure! Will you teach me?"

"I'll try, but we should rather do it in the morning, when you are more alert. This really needs some concentration, you know."

Dianna looked at Lillian. "I believe you are a very powerful witch," she said.

"Why would you think so? You've seen I could hardly do my charms correctly and I'm still not good enough with potions."

Dianna thought for a moment before answering. "You know, when one has to keep secrets since early childhood, one gets to be quite good at noticing others who keep secrets..."

Lilly was quick to understand. "So – you tell me yours and I'll tell you mine," she said, smiling.

Dianna sighed as if she was much older than her eleven years. "You already know I'm a Malfoy. I couldn't really hide it once I came to Hogwarts. It would have come out one way or another. You also know about my father being a convicted death-eater and my brother being pardoned only due to his age, yet these were all secrets I grew up with since I could understand anything at all."

Lilly only nodded.

"I was quite young – three or four years old at most – when I found out I could see people's aura..."

"You do? I mean – It's quite a rare ability, or so I was told."

"Well, yes, and I believe you can as well, or else you wouldn't even know it was so rare."

"Yes, I can see auras. Yours is just as bright and wide as mine, so I believe we are quite similar."

"Your aura was the first thing I noted when I first saw you. You are the only person I've met with brighter aura than mine."

Lillian seemed to want to object, but Dianna stopped her. "The difference is quite small, but it's there nevertheless."

Lillian just shrugged.

"I can also do wandless magic quite easily, although I've never tried such advanced magic as you do." She was staring at the vase and the flowers that Lilly had conjured and was playing with while listening to her friend.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't even notice I was doing this. I usually play with such flowers when I watch TV or when I just listen and have nothing to do with my hands."

"You shouldn't do it at school, you know!"

"I know. It's really hard to refrain, though. Luckily I can hold a book or a quill to keep my hands busy."

"I'm not as fidgety, but I can understand..."

"How do you manage to control your charms? I almost always overpower them."

Dianna smiled. "The secret is in the wand. I use a damping wand – one designed especially to dampen the effect of my magic to prevent overpowering the spells."

Lilly gave it some thought. "Such a wand may be helpful in class, but eventually you don't get to control your magic. I believe that training to gain control would be better in the long run, although I may try and get such a wand just for class."

Dianna laughed at that. "Where can we train? Even training in empty classes may prove too risky. I've blown the door once when I tried it."

"You should shield the door, the windows and the walls before training."

"I know, but I don't know how to shield them."

"I have a book about shields and wards. Let's find what can be done!"

"Can't you create a shield without a spell?"

"I probably can, but I won't be able to teach you if I just do it."

* * *

_**Please Review**_


	6. Chapter 6: Christmas Eve

**Chapter 6 - Christmas Eve**

Hermione came home just before dinner. She was delighted to see Lillian and enjoyed meeting Dianna. She was quite surprised and somewhat amused to find out that Dianna's mother was actually Mrs. Malfoy, but accepted her just as warmly.

Dinner was a noisy affair that evening. Even little Rose joined the table after waking up, making Dianna gasp when she noticed the small girl's aura. "She will probably be more powerful than any of us!" she whispered in Lilly's ear. Lilly only smiled.

"Mrs. Malfoy, would you join us in the living room?" asked Hermione after dinner.

"Gladly, but please call me Narcissa. I'm not even sure I can still be called Mrs. Malfoy."

"Why?" wondered Hermione.

"Well, I've received my approved divorce papers last week. I'm finally free of that man who lost his soul to the dark lord."

"Does Dianna know?"

"I've already told her everything. She is a smart girl. She wasn't even surprised. I wish Draco was even half as smart…"

"Then, how will you be named now?" wondered Harry.

"I'm not sure. I can revert to my maiden name – Black – but I believe I need your approval for doing this, especially if I want to be treated like a Black and not like a Malfoy."

"Why would you need my approval?" asked Harry.

"Have you not inherited Sirius' position as head of the house of Black? I can't come back into the family without your approval."

"You have it. You may officially use the name Narcissa Black. Do I need to write anything?"

"No. Your word is just as magically binding as a written statement," Narcissa assured him.

They all sat in front of the large-screen TV. Hermione cuddled close to Harry on the sofa while Narciss found the arm-chair very comfortable. The TV was showing a popular entertainment program to which nobody paid any attention. The smaller children had already been sent to bed, but Dianna and Lillian joined the adults, positioning themselves on the love-seat behind the sofa and talking in hushed voices so the others would not pay attention to their presence.

Rose was feeling much better in the morning. Hermione fed her another potion to be on the safe side and Rose insisted on staying near her sister although Lilly wasn't sure it was appropriate.

"You can teach her to apparate as well!" said Dianna. "She's about the same age you've first done it, and she is probably just as powerful."

Rose smiled at Dianna thankfully, while Lillian took her hand. "Maybe it's time to teach my little sister a thing or two."

It was a very cold day, but Lillian established a warm zone in the grove behind the house and took her sister and her friend there. She was first interested to hear about Rose's magical achievements, and her sister was glad to demonstrate: she turned a dry twig into a bunch of flowers and conjured a vase to put them in. She then changed her hair to stripes of red, green and blue before letting it set back to its natural reddish-brown. Dianna was deeply impressed, but Rose winked at her sister, as if saying "there's much more in store".

"I believe you could benefit from learning to apparate," concluded Lillian. She then started demonstrating her technique, apparating from one tree to another. An hour later they were all apparating freely between the trees. "This is FUN!" exclaimed little Rose.

"Let's apparate into your room," suggested Lillian.

A moment later they were all standing in Rose's room, removing some stray snow-flakes from their clothing.

"I thought you were still playing outside," they heard a voice. Narcissa was standing near the open door and looking somewhat confused.

"Mom! Lillian has just taught me how to apparate like her!" beamed Dianna.

"Good for you," said Narcissa, although her face kept its stoic expression.

Rose noticed her mother behind their guest. "Mom! I can apparate as well! Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yes, it is, darling, but please refrain from doing it until you are fully healed."

James came in, looking for the source of the excitement.

"I can apparate!" Rose told him.

"No, you can't" he replied.

"Oh, but I can! See?" and Rose apparated to the other side of the room, making James drop his jaw in disbelief.

"Why don't you teach me as well?" James whined to Lillian.

She looked suddenly sad. "I'd like to teach you, but your aura is very different. I don't think this will work for you. It may even be dangerous."

"You always talk of aura, but I've never seen anybody having an aura. It's just a lot of bull."

"But we can see auras," intervened Dianna. "Yours is sky-blue with red and yellow waves traveling through it and some orange bands. Rose's is almost white and much wider, with several color bands fluctuating in it. You both need to grow up before it's fully stabilized, but your magic is very different."

"I don't believe you!" blurted James, somewhat hurt for not being considered.

"There's a spell Aunt Minnie had shown me when I was your age," informed him Lilly. She made her two siblings stand in front of the large mirror and then took her wand and pointed at them. "_Revelio aura personale_" she said, moving her wand in a small circle. James looked at the mirror and saw exactly the auras described by Dianna.

"I don't need that spell," said Rose suddenly. "I thought I had an eye problem. Mom took me to a doctor. He found no problem. He had no real aura either. She then took me to a healer. He had a nice green aura. He explained to me what I was seeing and taught me how to ignore it."

Both older girls smiled. They had already suspected that much.

Rose was already tired. Hermione suggested she got some rest until lunchtime. "I'll help her go to bed," volunteered Lilly.

Once they were alone, Lilly helped Rose undress and go to bed. "I'm glad you feel better," she told her.

Rose smiled at her elder sister. "Can you teach me some other things as well?"

"I don't know. I'm sure you can already do much more than you showed us. Can you change your form?"

"Like becoming a cat or a dog? I can. I can even become a bird. I don't do it often, though. It's very tiring and I don't really need it."

Christmas Eve dinner was taking place at Potter Manor, as the number of guests was too large to accommodate in the house at Godric Hollow. The Potters, along with Narcissa, Dianna and Teddy, flooed to the Manor after lunch and got some rest in their assigned rooms while the house-elves made all the preparations. Hermione had finally agreed to let them do their work after making sure they were well paid.

Two hours before dinner time they were all ready. Harry was wearing his formal robes with the house crest and the large house ring. Hermione was wearing a simple, yet extremely elegant dress and managed to somewhat tame her hair into a presentable hairdo. Both Dianna and Lillian were dressed in fine dresses. Lillian's was red while Dianna's was blue. Rose wore a dress the color of her name and the two boys were wearing deep emerald dress robes. Teddy even changed his hair to the same color. Narcissa, the last person to join them at the entrance hall, preferred dark blue robes, accentuating her blonde hair and pale complexion.

The guests started arriving quite early. Andrew Creevey, along with his parents, his brother Denis and Gabrielle came first. Andrew soon positioned himself near the door, ready to take pictures of all participants.

Joanne came next with her parents and her sister. "We had to drive here and we weren't sure how long it might take," explained her father. Lillian was quick to introduce Janette to Dianna. "Janette has been my best friend since kindergarten. She knows we are magical and she is still our friend. She is also very talented. She has already appeared in a ballet and she also started painting very nicely. She may become a famous artist one day."

Julius Snape and his mother were also quite early, using a taxi to bring them to the Potter Manor.

Other guests arrived soon: Dudley with Millie, Minerva and Hagrid, the Weasleys, the Longbottoms, some more friends and then some members of the House of Lords and a few from the Wizengamot. The house-elves, all using a glamour to look like human servants, were becoming quite busy.

Andromeda Tonks was among the last to arrive, using the floo. She looked almost shocked to see Narcissa standing near the Potters and chatting amiably. "Why are you here?" she blurted at her sister.

"Dianna is Lillian's best friend at Hogwarts and she invited us both here with her parents consent, of course."

"Lady Malfoy paying a social visit to the Potters? That's some worthy news!" Andromeda said sarcastically. "Lucius wouldn't have approved at all!"

"Lucius can rot in jail! I'm finally free of him and his prejudices. My divorce papers have arrived a few days ago and I asked Harry, as the head of the house of Black, to allow me to use my maiden name and be considered part of the Black house again. He granted me his permission."

Andromeda still looked skeptical. "Please, Andy, let me back into your life," Narcissa pleaded. "At least let my daughter get to know her aunt, as she deserves."

"May I meet her first?" Andromeda asked and then added hesitantly "Cissy."

Lilian noticed some changes concerning the seating around the table. While most official dinners were held at the long table, with Harry sitting at one end and Hermione at the opposite end, this time the table was U shaped, with her dad sitting at the center. Her mother was sitting at his right while Narcissa was seated at Harry's left with Dianna at her side, followed by Andromeda and Teddy, while Lillian was seated at her mother's side. She didn't know why it was different but she was quite sure it would be revealed before the end of the meal.

Dinner was quite normal. The Weasleys glanced suspiciously at Narcissa, but said nothing. Lillian noted others glancing at the blond witches as well, but their expression showed only confusion. Dianna, though, seemed quite happy to get to know her aunt and they seemed to get along very nicely.

The guests were already finishing the desert when Harry stood up and called for attention. He waited until everybody was looking at him before he continued talking.

"Most of you already know the lady at my left – the former Mrs. Malfoy. She has recently got her divorce finalized and has asked me, as the head of the old and noble house of Black, to allow her to revert to her maiden name and use Black as her name instead of Malfoy. I'm glad to grant her that wish and to formally give her the right to be called Mrs. Black."

There was a murmur of surprise around the table. Some guests applauded while others looked quite bewildered – mainly those with no magical background. Molly Weasley seemed to be quite furious, though. Arthur was holding her shoulder and covering her mouth while whispering urgently in her ear.

Lilly glanced over to Dianna, but could not discern her feelings. She hoped to have a chance to talk with her once dinner was over.

They didn't spend the night at the Manor. They used a portkey to go back home as soon as the last guests left. Lillian couldn't talk with Dianna privately, but she could sense that her friend was excited and happy. That was enough for her to sleep really well that night.

Christmas morning passed lazily. They all opened their presents in the morning, but these presented no big surprises. Both Lillian and Dianna received books, as expected. The only surprise was Narcissa's present – a solid gold ring with the Black crest.


	7. Chapter 7: Power

**A/N: This chapter is somewhat shorter. I promise to give some longer chapters as recompensation.**

**

* * *

**

**Ch7 - Power**

They all woke up late the morning after Christmas. The girls put on some warm clothing and headed out.

"May I try your damping wand?" Lillian asked.

"Sure. It's not as tuned to the witch or wizard as normal wands," said Dianna.

Lillian took the damping wand and pointed it to a small twig. _"Wingardium Leviosa"_ she said clearly, adding the appropriate wand movements. The twig rose form the frozen ground and shot up quickly, stopping a few feet higher than their heads.

"You see," she complained, "even using this wand I have difficulties controlling the magic."

"Can you show me what happens when you use your real wand?"

Lillian let the twig fall back. She then pointed her own wand at the twig and repeated the charm. The twig shot up so quickly that they couldn't even follow it with their eyes. Lillian sighed and put her wand back in her pocket. A minute later they noted the twig falling back.

"Wow!" exclaimed Dianna. "Can you just levitate it with no wands and no spells?" she added some seconds later.

"That's no problem at all," replied Lilly, making the twig float about waist level, following an intricate path. "You see? Now I'm in perfect control."

Dianna was silent for a moment. "You are more powerful than I have ever expected," she finally said, "and once you learn to control your powers with the wand you will be quite formidable." She thought some more and then brightened. "We could train together to get in control. We must first find a dumping wand for you, though." She frowned a little. "I don't think we can do it before we have to go back to school. I can ask my French family, though. They would know where to buy it."

"There's no need to bother them," responded Lilly. She put the damping wand on the ground and covered it with both her hands. A few seconds later she removed her hands only to reveal two seemingly identical wands.

"Wow! I can't believe you can do such things," said Dianna admiringly. "I didn't even think it was possible. Can you tell now which my original wand is and which is the duplicate?"

"That's easy. I made the duplicate a bit shorter and slightly darker," replied Lilly, handing Dianna her wand. "Let's try it…"

She pointed her wand at the same twig and tried the floating charm again. The twig shot up quickly and stayed about a foot in front of the wand. She moved the wand and the twig moved accordingly. "That's just perfect!" she sighed in relief.

"It looks like you enhanced the dampening effect," noted Dianna.

"Yes – about twice as much. Now it works perfectly for me, so I won't fail Charms and Transfiguration until I manage to work with my 'real' wand. Can you show me how you control yours?"

Dianna took out her normal wand. Lilly was surprised it looked very similar to her own, just a bit shorter. Dianna performed the charm and the twig shot up, stopping only about the level of the highest point of the roof. "It used to be worse, but I somehow managed to put as little of my magic as possible in the spell," she explained.

"Can you do it with no wand?"

Dianna tried. The twig lifted reluctantly, but then floated up to waist level and stayed there until released. "I can't really make it move or do anything else, for that matter. Even if I try to talk I lose control."

"That only means you don't have enough concentration. I'm sure we can work on it. You're just as powerful as I am, but you haven't practiced as much. Can you do other stuff? Maybe change your hair color, like Teddy and Rose."

Dianna seemed somewhat unsure, yet she tried concentrating and her hair changed from bright blond to darker blond, almost brown.

"Not bad," commented Lillian, changing her hair to match her friend's. "If you can do that you can certainly do other such stuff as well. We shall practice."

Dianna's expression changed. "Where can we practice? We can't at Hogwarts and we are not allowed anyplace else. I'm even surprised that we have not yet received owls for breaking under-age magic laws."

"That's not a problem. Our lands are well warded. The ministry can't detect anything happening here unless specifically allowed by Dad."

* * *

"Have you given any thought to your position as the head of the Black house?" Narcissa asked after dinner.

"Not much," admitted Harry. "I have a seat in the Wizengamot on behalf of the Black house and then there's the Black estate to manage. Is there anything else?"

"There is. It's your responsibility to produce an heir for the Black house."

Harry shrugged. "I already have James and Hermione is expecting another boy, so…"

"These are Potter, not Black. You need another woman to produce the Black heir for you."

Hermione lifted her head and seemed suddenly more alert.

"And what if I don't want another woman?" asked Harry.

"It's really your choice. You may marry someone and make her Lady Black, to produce Black heirs. You may just take a concubine or use some random female to make a Black heir for you, or you may do nothing and let the Black house die when you die."

"I don't think Sirius would have been happy if I let the old and noble house of Black cease to exist," murmured Harry.

It was Hermione's turn to speak. "So, basically it's either another woman for producing a Black heir or the demise of the Black house. Am I correct?"

Narcissa nodded her approval.

"Then, despite my possessive feelings, you really should think of making someone Lady Black and having a son with her," Hermione told Harry.

He didn't look happy. "I know some men would have been glad to have their wives' approval to sleep with other women, but I'm perfectly content with my wife. I can't even think of any other woman, much less start looking for one."

Narcissa seemed thoughtful for a moment. "I may be able to help, if you would like. I'm a Black by blood and I'm still young enough to bear children. I also know some spells intended for assuring fertilization and for setting the gender. I had to use them to have Draco. It would feel just right for me to assure the continuation of the Black line…"

Dianna could hardly hold her surprise at these words. Even Lillian seemed more than just interested, yet she kept silent. They both wanted to hear the adults' conversation, without attracting attention to their presence.

Hermione seemed bemused, but said nothing. Harry's face showed surprise and even a little shock. It took him some time to react. "I… Well… I must think about your idea. I… I will let you know before the end of the holiday."

They all stayed silent, staring at the TV without really seeing it. Nobody noticed when the girls snuck out of the room and went to Dianna's bedroom.

"What do you think will happen?" asked Dianna.

"Dad is quite reluctant. He still sees your mother as an older woman – she is about the same age as his parents would have been had they survived. She is also Draco's mother, and Draco had been his arch-enemy throughout school. Yet Mom seems to like the idea. I think she finds some kind of poetic justice in it and she will make Dad accept it. Your Mom is still very attractive, I think. Once Dad agrees, I believe he may enjoy being close with your Mom. If he makes her Lady Black, as I'm quite sure he will, then he will become your stepfather. I'm sure he will care for you just as he cares for Teddy."

Lilly thought for a moment. "Well, Teddy is also your family, really. His granny and your mother are sisters."

Dianna looked surprised. "Are you sure? Mom is not that old!" She then thought for awhile. "Well, she is about the same age as your grandparents… and she is the youngest sister…" She sighed. "It's so confusing!"

Lillian hugged her. "We are going to be family! Isn't that exciting?"

"Yes, it is, but I think I've had enough excitement for one day. I think we should both go to sleep." She yawned widely. "Will you wake me up in the morning?"

"Sure!"

"Then – Goodnight…"

"Goodnight, Dianna. Sleep well and have wonderful dreams!"

* * *

**Please Review!**


	8. Chapter 8: Black Heir

**Ch8 - Black Heir**

The adults were sitting in the living room the next evening, after having sent the children to bed. The two girls stayed, though, having cast a silent "notice me not" charm on themselves.

Harry turned to Narcissa. "I've discussed your offer with Hermione and we have reached a conclusion."

"So...?" Narcissa could hardly hold her anticipation.

"I'm going to take your offer to produce the next Black heir."

"How do you want to proceed, then?" She sounded quite nervous.

"That's somewhat up to you. As soon as you are ready we shall try for an heir. If you get pregnant then I'll make you THE Lady Black. No child of mine will be illegitimate."

"What do you mean by THE Lady Black?"

"I'll marry you as Lord Black. You may then join us as a member of the family, as long as it stays clear that Hermione is the lady of the house wherever we may live."

"I've never thought otherwise, but you really don't have to marry me. It's enough if you make me your official mistress or concubine."

Harry smiled nervously. "I know that, but I want my children to have both parents. Although you will have a house to call your own, I do hope that all my children will grow up together as a big, happy family."

Narcissa glanced at Hermione, who nodded slightly at her.

"Would you like to try right now?" she asked.

Harry seemed surprised, but Hermione smiled at him and nodded. He offered his hand to Narcissa and they both left the room.

"Let's follow them and see what they do," suggested Lillian.

"Isn't it kind of private? Besides, I think I know what they are going to do," answered Dianna.

"Nothing is really private in this house. I've already seen my parents having sex. I want to see if this will be similar. Come on!"

"Won't they see us?"

Lillian stopped for a moment, pointed her hand to Dianna and the girl became completely invisible. Dianna could hardly stop her gasp. A few seconds later Lillian turned invisible as well.

"Hold my hand and walk quietly!" she told Dianna, groping for her hand.

They approached the bedrooms. Narcissa's bedroom door was closed and they could hear some talking. Lillian opened the door quietly and they both sneaked into the bedroom. Harry's shirt was on a chair as well as Narcissa's blouse. Lillian was surprised to see that Narcissa was not wearing a bra, yet her breasts looked nice and firm. Both adults were facing the large bed, Harry staying behind Narcissa and stroking her long hair.

"It doesn't feel right doing it here," complained Narcissa. "I know that Hermione approved, but it still feels wrong. We should go somewhere else."

"Would Potter Manor be better?" asked Harry.

"No. I'd like it best if we can find a place where you and Hermione didn't... you know... Preferably one of the Black homes."

Harry thought for a moment. "There is that summer house near Brighton Beach. We've only visited it once. Hermione thought it would be cute when we are old, but it was useless as long as we had small children. We only looked it over and left. It may be quite cold there, though."

"I know that place and I'm sure the house elf will be just too glad to light a fire for us. Do you want to lead?"

Harry handed her the blouse and put his shirt on, not bothering with the buttons. He then held Narcissa's hand and they disappeared with a loud "crack".

"Oh! That's not fair!" pouted Lillian, turning visible.

"Well, I told you it wasn't worth the bother," replied Dianna, turning visible as well. "I didn't know one could turn invisible so easily," she added.

"Well, it took me some practice, but it's not difficult. It's easier than apparition."

"Will you teach me?"

"It looks like we are going to be sisters, so..."

They both giggled happily as they left the room.

Harry and Narcissa appeared in the entrance hall of the Brighton Beach house with a loud "crack". Before they could even check their surrounding they heard a fainter "crack" and saw an old house-elf standing in front of them.

"Master Harry Potter Sir! I didn't know you were coming or I would have made it warm in here."

"That's alright Gobby. I didn't know either until a minute ago. Is any of the bedrooms ready for use?"

Gobbby looked offended. "They are all ready for master! Gobby knows what is expected of a good house elf!"

Harry laughed. "You are too strict with yourself, Gobby. You should relax sometimes. You're doing your job perfectly; you deserve some time just for leisure."

Gobby seemed to disregard this lecture, as if he had heard it too many times already. He just looked at his master's companion and gasped in surprise. "Miss Cissy? Is that really you?"

Narciss smiled kindly at him. "Yes Gobby. It's been so many years since anybody called me 'Miss Cissy'…"

"Then how should I call you?" Gobby seemed bewildered.

"'Miss Cissy' is fine for now, Gobby. Just make one of the bedrooms warm. We shall wait in the kitchen."

Harry looked at her questioningly.

"I used to come here every summer when I was a child and even while attending Hogwarts. I only stopped after I married."

A few minutes later Gobby showed them to the master bedroom, where a nice fire was dancing happily in the fireplace and the room smelled of fresh spring flowers.

"We shall probably want some tea in the kitchen in about an hour," Harry told Gobby just before he closed the door.

By the time he turned towards the room, Narcissa had already removed her blouse and was stripping out of her skirt, dragging her knickers along. Harry was fascinated by the view. Narcissa was just as trim as a fashion model. Her breasts were round and firm with the darker nipples erect, as if daring him to touch. Her waist was slim, but not overly so, and her hips were wider, just the right amount. A triangle of trimmed blond hair pointed to her legs, which were just as shapely. Only her face didn't look so young. While she didn't look her age, she still looked older than Harry.

She stood nude in front of him, as if expecting his judgment. While her stance was defiant, her face looked quite worried and tense. Harry swept his gaze over her and then smiled in appreciation. "Wow! You look beautiful! I feel honored to get to see you like this."

Narcissa's face relaxed. She smiled coyly and asked: "Do you only want to look? You may also touch, you know..."

Harry's hands went as if by their own volition to her breasts, caressing and fondling them and then he engulfed her in a warm hug, which really surprised her. She let herself enjoy his hug for a moment and then she tugged at his shirt, as if to remind him of the purpose they originally had in mind. Harry understood. He let her remove his shirt while he unbuckled his belt. She then dragged his pants and his boxers down, also removing his shoes in the same fluid motion.

There was no doubt Harry was ready for the task. Narcissa could see and feel his erect penis pressing against her stomach. She grabbed his hands and pulled him with her to the bed.

She expected him to plunge in, just as her husband had done, but Harry was much more patient. He caressed her face, her shoulders and her breasts, suckling tenderly each nipple. He then moved down to her flat tummy and licked her navel. Narcissa felt her arousal grow in ways she had never felt before. She spread her legs and urged him: "Harry, please..."

Harry positioned himself and entered slowly, enjoying the feeling of being engulfed by her wet warmth. After enjoying sex with only Hermione, he was surprised that it felt much the same and yet totally different at the same time. He continued moving cautiously in and out, making sure not to harm his partner, and continued caressing and fondling her body.

Narcissa's legs warped around his body, pushing him deeper, while her breath became shallower and faster. He could feel her walls getting wetter as her movements adjusted to his, urging him to go faster and deeper. "Harry..." she mumbled, almost incoherently, as he felt her body spasm around his organ in several strong waves. This triggered his own release, as his sperm ejaculated into her waiting body. He wanted to roll aside, but her arms and her legs hugged him tightly, keeping him inside her for as long as possible.

Harry let his head fall, touching his lips to her brow. "That was wonderful..." he sighed.

"You are wonderful," she told him, her breathing still difficult. "I've never had such an experience," she added, almost shyly.

Harry didn't answer. As the excitement of the act subsided, he fell promptly asleep, still hugged by his older partner.

He woke up some time later. He was now lying on his back with Narcissa's head on his shoulder, her breasts on his chest and her hand on his thigh, while his free hand was lying on her bum. He tried to turn his head to check the clock on the night-stand. This movement woke Narcissa. She moved her hand, brushing it against his penis, which brought an immediate reaction. "Do you think we can do it once again?" she asked, not quite sure of herself.

"We wanted to produce an heir. Is there another way to do it?" Harry responded with a smile.

She didn't need any more encouragement. She straddled him, directing his organ into her slit, and started riding him with such enthusiasm that Harry felt almost frightened. It went much faster this time, as both were still very aroused from the previous intercourse. Once his sperm went into her, Harry rolled them over on their side, staying inside her for as long as possible. He was surprised to see her crying after a moment.

"What is it? Have I hurt you? Do you regret anything?" Harry was very concerned.

"No, Harry, You were magnificent and you didn't hurt me at all. I also have no regrets whatsoever about what has happened between us. I'm just thinking of what I have missed for so many years, while living with Lucius," she said, drying her tears.

"What do you mean?" Harry felt confused.

"We only had sex during our honeymoon, in order to create Draco, and then once again, when he came home drunk and just took me on the floor, giving me Dianna. He just plunged in both times, not caring the least about me."

"Oh, dear. Then, you didn't have any..." he wasn't sure how to phrase his question.

"We had no relations of any kind. I was his beautiful, elegant escort – only to be seen but not to be heard – and he let me live as I please as long as I didn't do anything to shame him or offend him." She looked at Harry, noticing the shocked expression. "I understand that you and Hermione..."

"Almost every day. Even more than once a day, when possible. Her shifts at the hospital do create some problems once in a while, but we work them out well."

It was Narcissa's turn to blush at the mental image she was seeing.

A knock on the door made them duck under the blanket. Gobby came in, looking somewhat worried. "Are you alright, Master Harry, Miss Cissy? It's been more than two hours since you told me to have tea ready."

Harry blushed only slightly. He was used to being caught in mid action with Hermione by their house elves. "We are quite alright. We'll be in the kitchen in just a few more minutes, thank you."

Narcissa was peeking at him from under the blanket. "That was embarrassing..." she noted. Harry just shrugged. "It happens all the time; I'm quite used to it."

She giggled like a young girl and then she turned to him and kissed him on his lips. "Thank you, Harry, for making me live again."

* * *

**Please Review!**


	9. Chapter 9: New Year

**Ch8 – New Year 2006**

Narcissa was already sitting at the breakfast table when the others joined her, a few days later. She seemed very excited despite her aloof manners. The reason for her excitement became clear as soon as Harry and Hermione joined the table.

"Hermione, would you please help me verify my diagnostic spells?"

"Of course. What is it that you want to verify?"

"I've cast the pregnancy test spell and I would like you to verify my findings."

Hermione followed Narcissa out of the kitchen.

"She is pregnant, carrying a boy," said Lillian confidently. Harry looked at her but said nothing.

"How do you know?" asked Dianna.

"It's evident in her aura."

"How can you interpret those changes? I've hardly even noticed any."

"Oh, I've seen them on my Gra'ma when she expected my aunt and then on Mom – three times already. I've also noticed them on other women as well."

The two women returned, both glowing with joy.

"I'd like to marry you before you go back to Hogwarts," Harry said.

"When can we do it? There are only two days until the New Year and then I have to go back."

"I don't think you would like a grand wedding ceremony. Would you?"

"Not at all. I still don't think you need to marry me in the first place. I'll be fine even as your one-time mistress and the child will be just as legitimate in the magical world."

"He will not be as legitimate in the muggle world, though. I want all my children to have the best of both worlds."

"What do you suggest, then?"

"How about we marry at new-year's eve? A private ceremony with your children and mine should suffice, I think."

"Do you really want Draco to be present?" Narcissa sounded quite surprised.

"He IS your son, and then – the look on his face when he learns I'm becoming his step-father would be priceless!"

Narcissa rolled her eyes, but smiled warmly. "You boys are incorrigible…"

Narcissa floo-called Draco later. He had just returned from his visit to his in-laws in South America. She told him she was going to marry again and asked him to come to the ceremony. She didn't tell him who her intended husband was and surprisingly he didn't even ask.

The small chapel at the outskirts of London was far from full. Harry, Hermione and Lillian came in one car, parked neatly near the church gate, while Narcissa and Dianna came in a Taxi, collecting Andromeda on the way. A surprised Neville was called to act as a witness. They were already preparing for the ceremony when Draco arrived.

Draco greeted his mother and his aunt politely and hugged his sister shortly before noticing the Potters. "What are you lot doing here? I thought it was a pureblood affair."

"In a muggle church? You must be kidding," answered Harry.

"I'm going to marry Lord Black," said Narcissa, stopping the verbal duel in its infancy.

"Who is Lord Black?" asked Draco, quite confused.

"Well, dear brother, you have just talked with him. May I introduce to you Lord Black, also known as the Marquis Potter, head of the Noble and Ancient house of Potter and head of the Ancient house of Black," Dianna said, smirking.

"You are going to marry MY mother?" asked Draco in disbelief.

"Well, your mother was kind enough to offer to bring a Black heir for me, not bothering about marriage, but I wouldn't like a child of mine to be illegitimate in either the magical or the muggle world, so I offered to marry her once she is pregnant," explained Harry, enjoying the expressions passing on Draco's face.

"I should have killed you long ago…" hissed Draco.

"Now, now, Draco! You should behave nicely and make a good impression on your soon-to-be stepfather," scolded him Narcissa, while Dianna and Lillian giggled softly behind her.

Draco seemed to think fast and hard. "Isn't bigamy forbidden in England? You can't have two wives, and you are still married to that mudblood, as far as I know."

He hardly finished talking when a blow of energy threw him several feet in the air before he fell unceremoniously on his butt. "You should never say such words, especially not about my mother," informed him an infuriated Lillian, her body still glowing with magic.

Draco looked up just in time to notice how his sister and his mother lined up behind Lillian, making it quite clear that this kind of talk was unacceptable to them as well.

Harry continued as if oblivious to the little scene. "Oh, bigamy is not allowed in muggle Britain, except for the royal family, including relatives up to the tenth generation. I am perfectly within my rights taking an additional wife, especially since this time I'm not marrying as the Marquis Potter but as Lord Black."

The ceremony that followed was nice and simple. Draco posed no more problems and his aunt was the only one to eye him suspiciously once in a while. When Harry and Narcissa were pronounced husband and wife, Draco even congratulated the two of them, although not quite warmly.

"He has too much of his father in him," sighed Narcissa, as Draco was leaving the place at a quick pace, "but he will be OK eventually… I hope."

* * *

Harry held the New-Year Ball at Potter Manor like he had done every year since his wedding. He intended to use the ball for presenting his new wife and introducing Dianna and Lillian to adult society, the two girls now being stepsisters. He made sure to invite some of their friends as well, specifically Julius Snape and Andrew Creevey.

The guests were already gathered in the grand ball-room when the herald announced: "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honor of presenting you your hosts, the Marquise Harry Potter-Black and his wives, Lady Hermione Potter and Lady Narcissa Black, and their daughters – Miss Lillian Granger-Potter and Miss Dianna De-Poitiers."

A loud gasp could be heard from the guests. Even Narcissa's presence at the ball could have caused many eyebrows to rise, and having her named as Harry's wife was just too much for many. As soon as they started mingling, Lillian noticed some of the guests pulling Harry or Hermione into hushed conversations, while a few others, mainly some old ex-Slytherins, acted similarly with Narcissa. This made both girls giggle.

Dancing had always been the main entertainment during such balls (excluding gossip, of course), this one being no exception. Harry danced alternately with Hermione and with Narcissa. The girls danced with their own friends – Lilly sticking with Julius while Dianna stayed quite close to Andrew, all four of them enjoying the occasion of acting as adults.

The last guests were saying their goodbye; Lilly and Dianna were nodding on each other's shoulder at a corner and their mothers looked tired as well.

"Harry, you two should spend your first night together," noted Hermione.

"And leave you alone? No way!"

"But you just married Narcissa this morning. You owe it to her!"

"And I owe you to spend with you the first night of the year, just as you owe it to me."

Narcissa intervened. "Please, don't argue because of me. I can sleep alone, as usual. I've never really slept with another person in bed. It would be quite awkward for me not to be by myself."

Both Harry and Hermione looked at her. "You've always slept alone?"

"Ever since I remember myself. Lucius had a separate set of rooms in the manor."

"That won't do at all! A loving family can't be made that way! I've even let the children sleep together when they were smaller." Hermione was thinking hard. "Harry wants to sleep at my side and I believe he should sleep at your side. There's only one way to fulfill both our wishes, if you agree." She then called "Kerten!"

A female house-elf appeared. "Mistress Hermione, what can I do for you?"

"Do we have a bedroom with a bed wide enough for three people to sleep comfortably in?"

"Yes, Mistress. There's the master bedroom – its bed can be enlarged as needed. There's also another room – the concubine's bedroom, where three can be very comfortable, maybe even four."

Harry looked as if shocked. He wasn't sure he understood well, but was there any other explanation for a bed for three? He was sure that Hermione intended him to sleep with both women in the same bed. It excited him and frightened him at the same time.

Narcissa also seemed dazed. Sharing bed with one person was quite new to her – the time she fell asleep with Harry after their intercourse was really the first time she didn't sleep alone in bed. Sharing bed with two was unheard of, and yet so wickedly thrilling.

Hermione didn't mind, though. "The master bedroom would be fine. Just make sure the bed is wide enough and bring there all of Lady Black's belongings, if you please."

The elf bowed and disappeared. Hermione turned towards the girls. "I think they won't be able to reach their rooms on their own. Let's help them."

Harry took Lilly in his arms, while Hermione helped Narcissa with Dianna. They deposited the girls in their beds. The mothers stayed to remove the dresses and put the night gowns on the girls, while Harry proceeded to the master bedroom.

They seldom slept at the Manor, preferring the house at Godric Hollow, yet the bedroom looked different this time. The bed seemed huge! Harry was quite sure that even five people could fit in comfortably, without ever touching each other throughout the night. There were two bathrooms connected to the bedroom, while Harry only remembered one, and even the night tables seemed wider than usual.

'I'm probably just too tired,' he thought. He went into one of the bathrooms, changed into his pajamas, brushed his teeth and prepared for bed. By the time he came out of the bathroom he saw his two wives undressing near the bed. They were only wearing their knickers by then. He stopped and stared, enjoying the view. While Narcissa was taller and slimmer, Hermione had more feminine curves and larger breasts, due to her pregnancy. Hermione's belly was starting bulging out, not really marring her perfect figure. Both women were talking and laughing about something he didn't hear, yet they seemed so relaxed together that he couldn't contain his smile.

"Shall we go to bed?" he suggested.

"You bet!" said Hermione, pushing him towards the bed, while Narcissa moved to the other side of the bed. He didn't even have time to think before his Pajamas vanished, along with the remaining garments on his wives. They all tucked into bed, the women snuggling tightly into Harry. He fell asleep with a very happy smile.

Harry woke up. He couldn't move at all. A pile of brown bushy hair was lying on his right shoulder while some blonde straight hair was resting on his left. Two soft mounds were pressing on his left ribs while two larger mounds were pressing on his right. His legs seemed to be tangled with others and he felt a soft hand caressing his chest. Even without fully opening his eyes he could feel his penis was hard as a rock.

"Is there a problem I may solve for you, my husband?" a soft voice whispered in his ear.

Harry wasn't sure how to respond, when another voice, much more familiar, whispered in his other ear: "It is your honeymoon, Lord Black. You shouldn't disappoint your bride."

It was followed by a quick kiss on his lips, and then the brown hair lifted as Hermione stepped out of bed. "I'll send you breakfast later. You should stay in bed today, getting to know each other better."

Harry couldn't even respond as his mouth was attacked with a fierce kiss.

"I've never thought I could fall in love with someone so much younger than me," Narcissa said once they stopped the kiss, "yet I now find you irresistible."

Harry couldn't answer, again, as she pushed her nipple to his mouth, removing any coherent thought from his mind.

Lilly was surprised when she opened her eyes. She wasn't in her bed at home nor the one at Hogwarts. She needed a few seconds to recall the New Year ball and then a smile and a blush appeared on her face. She remembered spending most of the evening pressed tightly into Julius, dancing together as if they were one. She enjoyed it very much. There was something really exciting about dancing with Julius, something she couldn't feel when she danced with her Dad, with Andrew or with some of the other guests. She didn't know what it was yet she was certain she would like to find out.

There was a knock on her door and Dianna came in, still wearing her night gown. "I don't remember going to bed," she said, looking a bit puzzled.

"Neither do I, but I remember dancing the whole evening until my feet ached, and still wanting to dance some more..."

"You looked like you and Julius were glued together," Dianna commented.

"You were not any better, dancing with Andrew."

Both girls blushed some more.

"He's just my friend..."

Lilly felt her stomach protest. "I believe we should have breakfast now." She looked at her watch. "Well, it will be more like brunch – it's almost noon now."

The girls arrived at the dining room a few minutes later, dressed properly. They found only Hermione there, reading a medicine book. Lilly hugged her mother. "Where's everybody else?"

"Your siblings are at home – we didn't bring them here yesterday, while your father and his new wife are still in bed, I believe."

"Then where have you slept?"

"In the same bed, of course."

The girls seemed confused. Hermione smiled and explained: "It was their nuptial night and I thought they should be together. Harry still wanted to be with me during the first night of the New Year, so..."

"And Mom agreed?" wondered Dianna.

"Of course. We wouldn't have forced her, would we?"

Hermione hugged both girls. "Slept well?"

They giggled. "I still dreamed of the dance," Lillian told her.

"And you?" Hermione asked Dianna.

"I can't remember any dream, but I slept really well."

"Fine. I can hear your stomachs growling. Sit down and eat something. You really spent a lot of energy last night."

By the time the girls finished their meal, Hermione was back to her book, oblivious to her environment. The girls didn't mind. "Do you want to sneak on your Mom and my Dad? Hey, he is now your Dad too!"

"Technically he is my stepfather and you are my stepsister, but I'd really like to have a REAL father, for a change."

Lillian hugged Dianna in a sudden burst of emotions. "I'm sure that's what Dad thinks as well. Just wait and see."

They approached the master bedroom. "How are we going to get in? These doors are probably just as squeaky as the doors in our rooms," Dianna wondered.

"You already know how to apparate, don't you? I'll turn us invisible first, though." Lilly made them both invisible and they soon found themselves on the other side of the door.

Harry and Narcissa were now hugging tenderly, exchanging kisses now and then. They were both naked and sweaty, though it didn't seem to bother them at all.

The girls watched them for a few minutes, until Harry just enveloped Narcissa in a hug and they both seemed to fall asleep. Lilly grabbed Dianna's hand and apparated them both to her room.

"It looks like Mom is really falling in love with your Dad," commented Dianna.

"OUR Dad! Yes, I believe he cares for her a lot, even if he is not in love with her yet."

"He can never love my Mom the same as he loves yours, but I think he already loves her more than she has ever been loved."

"Oh, I'm so glad for you both! And I have another sister now!"

**

* * *

**

Please review.


	10. Chapter 10: Weekend

**Ch10: Weekend**

"What can I do for you, Narcissa?"

"Minerva, I'd like to know if I may spend the weekend with my husband."

The headmistress seemed confused. "You want to go to…" She suddenly remembered. "Oh, you mean Harry! Of course you may."

She then looked at the younger woman suspiciously. "I thought it was just a convenience marriage," she noted.

"I thought so as well. I only wanted to give an heir for the Black dynasty and I hoped to experience some of the thrills I missed when I was younger." Her face turned redder. "I didn't expect this to happen."

"What do you mean by 'this'?"

"I miss him terribly since returning to Hogwarts…"

"Well, he is about the same age as your son, Draco."

"I know. I don't miss him as a son; I miss him as a man…"

Narcissa looked no longer like the aloof, stoic Mrs. Malfoy, as Minerva had come to know her. She looked more like one of the sixth or seventh year students, coming for advice on matters of the heart. Minerva wondered what caused the change. 'Dear Harry, you have more than one kind of love to give,' she thought fondly.

She then turned her attention back to the younger woman.

"According to your contract, you only have to stay the weekend in the castle every six weeks. Otherwise, you may spend your weekends wherever you like, as long as you are back before your first lesson is due on Monday."

"May I take the coming weekend off, then?"

"You have already spent all your weekends in school before Christmas. It looks like you won't need to spend another weekend at the castle unless you want to."

"Thank you, Minerva. I really appreciate this."

Minerva looked at her, somewhat pensive. "I was wondering about something. It may be too personal, so you don't have to answer. How are you going along with Hermione? "

Narcissa smiled. "I was quite worried about this as well. I wasn't sure if she wouldn't object to Harry producing a child with me to start with. I was very surprised when she actually encouraged him and then when she insisted he spent the first night after the wedding with me. She seems to be more concerned about him performing his duties as Lord Black then he is. I believe we are going to become very good friends."

"That is really good. I was worried that having a second wife would create tensions between them. I'm very glad that is not the case."

Narcissa left the headmistress office with a smile. She then went to the library, knowing it was the most probable place to find Dianna. She found her there, studying along with Lillian and Andrew. She watched them for a few minutes, enjoying the way Dianna interacted with her stepsister and noticing her closeness to Andrew as well. She then approached the table.

"May I have a word with you, please?" she addressed Dianna. The girl stood up, intending to follow her mother somewhere more private.

"It's nothing very private. Your friends may hear it as well," said Narcissa, motioning her to sit back and sitting on a spare chair herself.

"You all know I've been recently married to Lord Black. I've just checked with the headmistress and I've found out that I may take most weekends off, so I could spend them with my husband."

"That's wonderful, Mamman!"

Lillian smiled brightly as well.

"Yes, it's wonderful. It also means that we should reschedule our weekly meeting. When do you have a free afternoon?"

Dianna checked her schedule. "Tuesday after lunch – I have two free hours, or we may set it any day after dinner."

Lillian checked her schedule as well. "I have a lesson Tuesday afternoon," she said. Narcissa didn't miss the tone of disappointment in her voice.

"Let's schedule it for Tuesday evening then, so you can visit me alone or with your friends, however you think is best each time."

Both girls smiled warmly at her, as did Andrew.

"Thank you, Mom, and I'm glad you're getting closer with my new Dad," Dianna told her.

Narcissa left the castle as soon as she finished teaching on Friday. She walked outside the gates of Hogwarts and then apparated directly to the house at Godric Hollow, where Hermione was already waiting for her.

The two women greeted each other with a hug and Hermione led the way to the master bedroom.

"I thought I'll stay in the room I used during Christmas vacation," Narcissa commented.

"You were a guest then. Now you are Harry's wife and you should sleep in his bed, just like I do. I also have to leave soon for my night shift at the hospital. I'm very glad not to leave Harry sleep alone."

The room had been changed since New Year. Its bed had been widened, to comfortably accommodate three people, and the night stands were also widened accordingly. There was also an additional wardrobe connected to the room. "I hope you find this room to your taste," Hermione said.

Narcissa was speechless. She just looked around, too thankful to trust her voice, and then hugged Hermione with tears in her eyes.

Dinner was over. Andrew bid the girls goodnight and left, but Lilly and Diana were still busy talking. "Don't you like to see how your mother is getting along with Dad?"

"I would like to do it, but unlike Mom, we are stuck here."

"No, we aren't. We can now apparate."

"I thought Hogwarts had anti-apparition wards. Nobody is supposed to apparate at Hogwarts or into or out of it. I read this in 'Hogwarts – a History'."

"Normal wizards can't. They apparate in a different way, yet house-elves do it easily, and so can we."

"Are you sure?"

"I've done it many times already. We just need to find a hidden passage so nobody will notice."

Dianna followed her skeptically.

"This is a good place," said Lilly, grabbing Dianna into a passage blocked by a statue.

"Now what? I'm not so sure I can do it," Dianna said.

"Try and apparate just to the other side of the gates. Nobody will notice you at this hour. Go now!"

Dianna disappeared with a very soft "pop" and Lilly followed suit a second later, meeting her at the gates.

"Wow! That's COOL!"

"I told you so. Now we need to make ourselves invisible and apparate home." Lilly turned them both invisible and they disappeared with two soft pops.

They landed in the entrance hall of Potter home. Lilly silenced their shoes and they proceeded to the sitting room.

"Harry, I'm leaving you in the capable hands of your new wife. I'll see you both in the morning." Hermione kissed his lips lightly, grabbed her purse and her overcoat and walked out to the car. She couldn't apparate into a muggle hospital.

Narcissa was sitting on the couch, not very close to Harry. Lilly could feel her reluctance to get closer, as if forcing Harry into something, while Harry was just reading some papers, oblivious to the feelings of the woman besides him. Lilly made Harry shift his position, moving closer to Narcissa.

Still reading, he absentmindedly lifted his hand and put it on her shoulders. Narcissa moved closer and put her head on his shoulder. His hand moved to her hair, caressing it. He then lifted his head in surprise.

"I'm sorry. I somehow forgot Hermione was gone and I grabbed you this way…"

"No need to apologize. I actually like it." Narcissa set her head into the crook of his neck. "I really do."

Harry seemed surprised. "You do? I thought you only wanted to assure the Black existence…"

"I thought so as well, but then I started to know you a bit better. Now I feel like I want to know you a lot better and to make you a significant part of my life."

"Maybe I should also get to know you better…"

He continued caressing her hair, but didn't go back to his reading. They started talking softly with each other, so softly that none of the girls could hear the words, even when standing as close to the couple as they dared.

A while later, Harry put his papers aside and stretched. "Shall we go to bed?" he asked.

"Sure, my dear husband," Narcissa replied, smiling at him.

He grabbed her hand and they walked towards the bedroom.

"Would you like to follow them?"

"No. I can see Mom is going to have a wonderful weekend."

"And Dad as well…" Lillian smirked.

Dianna yawned. "I think we should go back now. I'm already tired."

"Fine. Let's go back to that secluded passage, OK?"

Once back at Hogwarts, Lillian escorted Dianna to the entrance of the Ravenclaw tower, making her visible just at the door, and then returned to her dormitory.

Harry was lying in bed, waiting for Narcissa to join him. She finished her preparations in the bathroom and then slipped into bed, wearing only a flimsy nightgown.

Harry turned to her and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight," he said, caressing the cheek with his thumb. Narcissa responded by kissing his lips. "Goodnight, Harry," she murmured.

He turned the lights off and then turned his back to her. Narcissa shifted closer, molding her body to his in a "spooning" position and putting her hand over him, caressing his chest.

"You don't have to do it just because we are married," Harry told her, without turning around.

"I'm doing it because I like doing it, Harry. I barely know you and I've already fallen in love with you. Isn't it weird?"

Harry turned around, facing Narcissa. "What do you mean?" he asked her, quite bewildered.

Narcissa traced his lips with her fingers. "I never thought I could fall in love. I had a crush on some boy when I was thirteen. I then learned that I've been betrothed to Lucius Malfoy and I had to quench any attraction I had for any boy. I felt no love to Lucius and couldn't afford loving anybody else. Now, after living as a Malfoy for more than two decades, I thought I was not even capable of feeling love anymore. I'm glad to say I was wrong."

Harry looked at her, still not sure of his understanding. Narcissa continued talking, as if trying to make herself understand as well.

"The only love I could feel was the love for my child, and even it was tainted, as Draco turned out to be too much like Lucius. Yet it was this love that made me lie to the dark lord about your death."

Harry didn't like hearing about the war. He still suffered occasional nightmares caused by that period, but he felt that Narcissa needed to talk.

"I was devastated after the war. I knew that my dark mark would send me to Azkaban, along with Lucius. I only hoped Draco would be spared due to his age. You may understand the surprise I felt when you testified on my favor and practically saved me from that horrible jail. It was then that I started looking at you not just as a boy the same age as Draco or a celebrated war hero but as a young man with deep sense of justice and a lot of compassion."

Harry noticed her cheeks becoming flushed and her lips becoming redder. He actually liked what he saw.

"You then told Minerva that she could trust me as a teacher. I wasn't sure why you did it. My past had no record of people helping others just because they thought it was the right thing to do. You stayed a mystery to me until Lillian became Dianna's best friend, knowing perfectly well of her origins. I could see you in your daughter. Then, at Christmas, I got to know you first as our host and then as a man and I liked everything I found out about you. It was just inevitable that I fall in love with you," she concluded, still caressing his face.

Harry felt a need to praise her as well. "If I hadn't known the truth, I could easily think that you are just a few years older than me. You look more like Hermione's big sister than like one who could be her mother."

Narcissa didn't let him talk. She kissed his mouth passionately and directed his hands to the hem of her nightgown. They were both naked before they knew it and they let their passion dictate their actions before they finally fell asleep hugging each other tightly.

* * *

**Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11: School Incidents

**Ch11: School Incidents**

News of Professor Black's secret wedding was slow to leak into Hogwarts, as most of those who knew were not eager to tell it to the press, yet it could not be kept a secret for long.

While most students considered it just a saucy piece of gossip, the Slytherins seemed to get infuriated. Dianna was starting to get warnings and threats while passing through the corridors. She continued her normal activities and didn't pay them any attention, yet they started bothering her. She was glad of the new skills she had learned during the Christmas break and especially of the shielding she had managed to learn just before returning to school. She was also much better at exercising her wandless magic now and was quite confident on her ability to withstand any attack by malevolent students, something she was already expecting.

Brenda Weasley came running into the dormitory room. "Lilly! Some Slytherins seem to trouble Dianna. It looks like they are taking her somewhere!"

"Thank you for telling me. I'll try to help her."

"Do you need us to help as well?"

"Not now. If I don't come back in twenty minutes, then you should tell the headmistress."

Lilly made sure she had both her wands with her and then rushed out. She stopped in a hidden corridor and concentrated, trying to find Dianna. 'Where are you?' she thought, trying to cast the thought towards Dianna.

'They're taking me to the Slytherin common room. I play along for the time being. I believe I can handle them on my own, but you may join, if you like,' she sensed.

Lilly turned herself invisible and apparated to the corridor leading to the Slytherin dormitories. She didn't have to wait long. A moment later she saw Dianna, surrounded by ten Slytherins, most of them fifth and sixth year, all holding their wands at Dianna. They held the wands somewhat hidden, but not well enough. As one of them opened the door and held it open for the others, Lilly slipped in unnoticed.

They shoved Dianna into a chair. One of them searched her robes for a wand, finding nothing.

"My wand is in my bag," Dianna said.

"Shut up, blood traitor!" one of the older boys said.

"I'm no traitor and you have no right to treat me like one," Dianna insisted.

"Shut up or..."

"Or what? Does the noble house of Slytherin consider frightening a first-year girl with ten bullies as an appropriate act of bravery?"

Their leader raised his wand. He didn't even start pronouncing a spell when his wand crumbled in his hand, turning to ashes.

"Next time I'll turn your other wand into ashes," Dianna smirked, seeing the puzzled and frightened look on the boys.

"Don't listen to her! She's just bluffing!" one of the other boys said. "She thinks that now she has the Potter protection. It would not help her once we are finished with her."

Several of the boys raised their wands. A fraction of a second later, all wands were plucked from their hands and were hanging near the ceiling, rotating like a merry-go-round.

"Now we are a bit more even: I have no wand and you have no wands," Dianna commented.

"We don't need wands to beat you up." They still didn't understand what they were facing.

"Indeed you don't," Dianna agreed.

One of the largest boys tried to beat her, only to find his hand striking an invisible barrier. Another tried to do the same from a different direction, getting similar results.

Lillian chose this moment to reveal herself. She was standing across the hall from them with her wand pointed at the group.

"What are you playing at?" one of the boys growled.

"Just fair play. Ten big boys against one small girl didn't seem right, so I came along, to make it somewhat fairer. Don't you think so?"

A boy tried to run to her, only to be thrown back like a rag doll.

"Now, do you want the whole school to hear about how powerful you've been compared to mere two first-year girls?" Lilly asked innocently.

The boys looked terrified.

Dianna walked to Lilly and they both approached the door.

"Your wands will stay up there for another day before they fall down. As for this one..." Dianna took Lillian's wand. "_Reparo!_" she said, waving the wand towards the ashes. They turned into a wand again. The boys tried to grab it, but it flew up, joining the other wands.

"Now remember – do not mess with a Potter! You may then wish it was only your wooden wands that turned to ashes," Lillian added warningly.

"Shall we go?" she asked Dianna. They held hands, touched the door and disappeared.

They reappeared in the hidden corridor, the one from which Lilly apparated.

"I didn't know we could communicate just by thinking to each other," commented Dianna.

"I wasn't sure either, but it was worth a try. I know I can feel the thoughts of my parents, my siblings and my grandparents. I've never really tried to communicate like this, but it is fun."

"It is. Why did you come there, really? I could handle them by myself, you know."

"You had no wand and you don't need them to know you can do wandless magic. I also touched the door before apparating to just confuse them. The less they know about our abilities – the better."

"If you say so..."

Dianna went back to the library, where her school bag was waiting for her. Lilly went back to her dormitory to tell Brenda everything was fine, before grabbing her own bag and joining Dianna at the library.

The Slytherins seemed extremely polite that evening, when Dianna and Lillian went to the Great Hall for dinner. They went out of their way to keep their distance from the two girls. Those who couldn't avoid getting closer were keeping their hands down, in front of their trousers. Nobody knew why and none of the girls volunteered an explanation.

* * *

Tuesday night, after spending the evening with Dianna and Narcissa, Lilly decided to fly a bit, as she liked to do every once in a while. She went to the owlery, but stopped as soon as she reached a deserted corridor and apparated to the farthest side of the lake. She then turned herself into an eagle and started flying, enjoying the freedom of soaring on her wings and scanning the grounds leisurely. She didn't expect to see anything in particular, yet she did find some items occasionally, things other students had lost or misplaced. She liked using her eagle-eye vision to find these items, eventually helping other students by collecting the items and placing them near the entrance doors.

She was already flying back, not having found any lost items – very few students wandered outdoors during the cold weather – when she noticed some activity on the astronomy tower. Flying lower, she spotted five boys who looked seventh year. Four of them were holding the arms and legs of a younger girl, restraining her, while the fifth was trying to remove her clothing. The girl was probably under some silencing spell. Lilly noticed that she looked like screaming, yet no sound was coming out of her mouth. Despite the other boys holding her, the girl also managed to kick the fifth boy, slowing him in removing her cloths.

Lilly didn't need to see much more. She changed her form in mid flight into a dark gray owl, so that she could come much closer without making any sound. She landed on the tower and none of the others noticed her. They wouldn't have been bothered by an owl anyway. She thought quickly how to act and decided that these boys needed to be publicly humiliated in order to make sure they would never try such actions again.

She turned herself invisible first and then returned to human form. Now, using her metamorphmagus talents, she changed herself into a tall blonde woman, wearing a shiny armor and wielding a spear. She approached the group. The girl was still fighting, yet the boys had already removed her pants and her sweater, leaving her in her knickers and her blouse only. One of them was already starting to lower his own trousers. Lilly decided to add another touch to her appearance, making herself glow before gradually turning visible.

The effect was stunning. It was as if a being of light was materializing in front of the boys' eyes. Lilly enhanced her voice to sound older and much more powerful. "Thou have committed a crime against my protected ones!" she said in a menacing tone. The boys seemed to freeze, letting the girl slip out of their hands. "Thou should be punished for your crimes!" Lilly continued, pointing the spear towards the boys. Five golden ropes erupted from the spear, tying the boys tightly. Lilly turned to the girl, who was still lying on the floor with her eyes wide open. She waved her spear once, and the girl's clothes returned to their proper location. Another waving, and the girl could be heard again.

"You are safe now, my child," Lilly said in a tone she had heard in some movies. "Now go to the hospital wing to have your bruises treated and then let the headmistress know of what these sub-humans tried to do to you."

"Yes, Ma'am," the girl replied and hurried down. Lilly looked at the five boys. She decided to let them hang with their genitals exposed for the whole school to see. She conjured some more ropes to connect to the ones tying them and then had them hang on the tower's railing. She made the ropes long enough so they would hang with their feet about waist-high. She then made their trousers and boxers vanish, exposing their sensitive areas to the cold weather.

She now summoned four pieces of parchment and a self-inking quill. She wrote four announcements, urging the students of the four houses to gather at the bottom of the astronomy tower. Changing back into an owl, she took the four parchments and flew into the four common rooms before landing near the Griffindor entrance, returning to her normal form and joining her friends in the common room.

"Andrew, take your camera before we go!" she reminded her friend, as the whole student population was starting to move towards the astronomy tower.

Andrew managed to take quite a few pictures of the five boys, each having created a small yellowish puddle below his feet, before the headmistress arrived. She released the boys from the ropes and marched them to the hospital wing, promising a severe punishment.

Andrew's work was decorating the main hall the next morning. The life-size photos were floating in mid-air near the walls and above the tables. Nobody knew how they were put there or how to remove them, although the headmistress had her suspicions about who did it. The boys, three Slytherins and two Ravenclaws, all from very snobbish pureblood families, were nowhere to be seen for more than a week.

* * *

**Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12: Accident

**February 2006**

**Ch12: Accident**

It was a very cold February weekend. The sky was ominously dark and the air was almost too cold to breath. Most students preferred staying indoors, close to the fires in the studies and the common rooms, yet Lillian and Dianna found this an opportunity to train their powers. They went to the lake's shore, established a warm area there and started trying to control their magic using wands.

"I've found a spell used to slice bread. It should be safe enough to try it here. Don't you think so?" asked Dianna.

Lillian hesitated. "I'm not sure. With our powers, everything might be unsafe. I think I'd rather erect a shield around us, just in case."

"Oh, I don't think you should bother. This weather is shield enough, I'm sure."

"Well, I hope you are right. It's really quite tedious to erect such a shield here..."

Dianna conjured two loafs of bread using her damping wand and put them on a nearby rock. "Shall we try?"

They took two steps back. Dianna took her real wand and said the spell, pointing her wand at the bread. It exploded in a rain of perfectly even slices.

Lillian tried as well, getting similar results. "We still put too much power into the spell. I think we should first try it on some wood and once we manage to only scratch it, then we can try it with loafs of bread again," she said.

They collected some fallen branches and put them on the rock. At first they couldn't even keep the branches from exploding. It took them half an hour of training to control their magic enough to just cut through the thickest branches without exploding them. "We are still putting too much power, and yet I try to hold everything back. I wonder if we can even do it..."

"Oh, don't give up! We are improving. You are just too impatient. I'm sure we can manage to control this spell, at least, before lunch."

"Well, I'll certainly try. It's your turn now..."

Dianna tried again. She removed the cut branches and put a large piece of wood – probably an old trunk – on the rock. She then stepped back three paces, pointed her wand and said the spell.

"Hey! Say cheese!" – Andrew's voice was heard from behind one of the trees. He was pointing his camera towards the girls, ready to take a photo. Dianna turned towards him, her spell half-finished. It struck him on the chest, cutting four deep gushes. Andrew fell on the snow, bleeding profusely.

"Oh, God! I killed him!" cried Dianna, while Lillian rushed to her fallen friend, trying to help.

"He's still alive. Take madam Pomfrei here immediately. GO!"

Dianna didn't wait. She apparated directly into the hospital wing, startling the healer. "Andrew is severely injured. Please come with me!" she told her.

"Where is he?"

"At the lake."

"Oh, dear! It's quite a long walk there."

"I'll take you! Grab my hand!"

They were back at the lake in no time. They saw Lillian crouching over the boy and moving her hands lightly over his chest, mumbling "Don't die, please!" Both his clothes and the ground around him were covered with blood.

The healer took over. She waved her wand over Andrew with a diagnostic spell. She then removed his robes and checked his chest. She saw four long scars, but no bleeding. She turned wonderingly towards Lillian. "What have you done?"

The girl seemed extremely frightened. "I've only tried to help him. Have I done anything wrong?"

"No, dear. I believe you saved his life. Let's take him to the hospital wing now. He still lost a lot of blood and needs to recuperate. You two – come with me!"

The healer moved the un-responding Andrew to a stretcher she had conjured, floated it in the air and walked towards the castle with the two frightened girls in tow.

It took them ten minutes to reach the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrei set Andrew on a bed and put privacy curtains around it while she took care of her patient. The girls stood where they stopped, not daring to move or to say anything. The healer came out a while later. She noticed the girls.

"Come with me to the office and tell me what happened. It looks like you also need a cup of tea each and maybe some cheer-up potion as well."

They followed her in silence and sat on the offered chairs, while the healer made them a calming tea. Once ready, she gave them a cup each and took another cup for herself before smiling at them tenderly.

"He will be fine, I'm sure," she said calmingly. "Now, will you tell me what has happened?"

Dianna seemed to be still too shocked to talk. Lillian looked at her and started telling: "We were just practicing the bread slicing spell. We both put too much power in our spells and need to practice controlling our powers better. We though it was safe practicing there at such a weather. We didn't think Andrew would follow us to take some pictures. He startled Dianna while she was using the spell. She turned and the spell hit Andrew."

"Which spell was it?"

Lillian told her.

"That spell is so weak that it's hardly useful for anything but the softest breads. Are you sure it wasn't some other spell?"

Dianna finally came to her senses. "It was only that spell. We tried to use it, thinking it was safe enough, yet it almost killed our friend! What should we do?" Tears were threatening to overflow her eyes.

"Please calm down, Miss De-Poitier. He's no longer in danger. Yet I can't understand what happened. Can you show me?"

Dianna took the wand and absent mindedly conjured another loaf, setting it on the stone floor. She then pointed her wand and said the spell, causing the office to be covered with sliced bread. She failed to hear the "Wow!" escape from the healer's mouth.

"You see – whatever we try it's still too powerful!" cried Dianna. "How can we ever do things right when everything we do just explodes?"

"What do you mean by 'we'?"

"I have the same problem," admitted Lillian.

"I see... Well, being powerful can really be a mixed blessing, yet this same power is what saved your friend's life, isn't it?"

She looked at Lillian and tried to reassure her with a friendly smile. "Can you tell me what you did to save him?"

Lillian thought for a moment. She wasn't quite sure what she really did, but she tried her best. "I knew that his bleeding was too serious and it might kill him in no time, but I couldn't just stop the blood from flowing – it would have been just as bad, so I tried healing the cuts. I put my hands over them and wished them to heal. I hope I did right..."

"You did exceptionally well. I believe that even the scars will disappear within a few days. You should really opt to become a healer, you know. I wouldn't like to think such a talent would be wasted."

"Mom is a healer. She is now learning to become a medical doctor as well."

"Yes, I remember she was the best student I've ever known, although I didn't have a chance to know your grandmother. They say she was just as brilliant."

Dianna finished her tea. "May I see Andrew now? I just can't believe I've injured him so badly. I'd like to see for myself that he is safe now."

Madam Pomfrei smiled kindly. "He's asleep now and will keep sleeping until tomorrow."

"I won't wake him. I only want to watch over him."

The matron waved her hand as if sending the girl to her friend. Dianna shot out of the office and set herself at Andrew's bed, looking him over, checking his breath and taking his hand in hers before sitting on the chair at his side.

"Well, Miss Potter, there's something else I would like to know. Your friend appeared in my office without ever walking in and she then took me to the lake the same way. Were you using a portkey?"

"No. I don't know how to make a portkey. She just apparated."

"Apparated? Here , at Hogwarts? How can that be?"

Lillian smiled reluctantly. "It's a secret. Please don't tell anybody. You may talk with the headmistress, though. She already knows." She paused, quite nervous, and then continued. "I can apparate within Hogwarts and even into or out of Hogwarts, and so can Dianna. I taught her."

"You taught her?" The matron looked alarmed, but then she had another idea. "Can you teach me as well? It may come handy when I'm needed in a hurry."

Lillian looked at her regretfully. "I can't tech you. Your aura is not the same kind. It would be of no use."

"My aura? What are you talking about?"

"I'll show you." Lillian stood up and stepped in front of the mirror near the door, motioning for the healer to stand at her side. "Now, will you cast '_Revelio aura personale_' on both of us, please?"

The healer did as asked and gasped at what she saw in the mirror. She saw herself with a bright green aura, including some red, yellow and blue stripes. "The green shows you are a talented healer, while the rest shows you are courageous, loyal and female – although one doesn't need your aura to know that.

"Your aura is very different," noticed the healer.

"Well, Dianna has a similar aura and so have my young sister and my aunt."

"How do you know so much about auras?"

Lillian shrugged. "I can see them without the aid of that spell, so I just learn from experience."

Madam Pomfrei had to sit down. She expected Harry Potter's child to be somewhat special, but this was much more than she could ever expect. She knew she would have to talk with the headmistress, but she first had to understand it herself.

"May I go now? I'd like to tell au... the headmistress about what happened and it's almost lunch time already."

"Yes, you may go. Please tell the headmistress I'd like to talk with her."

"I'll tell her," promised Lillian.

She went to her friends first. Andrew was sleeping peacefully, his face still extremely pale, and Dianna was holding his hand.

"Let's have lunch," suggested Lilly.

"No. I'm staying with him until he is fully recovered."

"But he doesn't need you now. He is recovering nicely and even his aura is almost fully restored."

"I know, but I feel I must stay with him. I can't forget that I almost killed him. He is my friend – I should care for him. I should not harm him."

Lillian seemed to understand. "Fine, stay with him. Do you want me to bring you anything? Maybe you want to read something until he wakes?"

"No. I'll just watch Andrew."

Lilly smiled at her friends and left the hospital wing, going straight to the headmistress quarters.

"Lilly! I didn't expect you until dinner. What made you come now? Why are your cloths stained?"

Minerva was quite upset to see Lillian in such a mess.

"I've been practicing spells with Dianna near the lake. Andrew startled us and got hit with a cutting spell we were practicing. He's recovering now in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrei would like to talk to you, probably about this, after lunch."

Lillian saw the anxiety in the headmistress expression.

"Why have you practiced here? We have already agreed that you should practice elsewhere, didn't we?"

"Yes, Aunt Minnie. It was a mistake, a terrible mistake. We just thought that the weather would keep everybody indoors, making it safe to practice near the lake. We didn't think Andrew would follow us and try to take some pictures."

"Well, I still don't understand how he got hurt…"

"We were practicing using the bread slicing spell. It is normally very weak and we thought it would be safe enough. We started practicing – it was still grossly overpowered. Then Adrew appeared, startling Dianna just as she was casting the spell. She turned towards him and the spell hit him on his chest."

"Oh, my!" Minerva knew how powerful Lilian and her friend were and could imagine how dangerous such an overpowered spell could be.

"I've sent Dianna immediately to bring Madam Pomfrei and tried to heal Andrew as much as I could until they came."

"How is he now? I dread telling his parents of this."

"He's healing well and Madam Pomfrei said that even the scars will probably fade in a short while. He will sleep until tomorrow, though."

It took Minerva some time to get over her shock and send the girl away. She skipped lunch and went directly to the hospital wing, finding Dianna there.

"Why are you here, Miss De-Poitiers?" she asked her, raising her brow.

"I just feel I can't leave him alone, not after I almost killed him by mistake."

"He doesn't really need you now. I suppose you know that."

"I know, but I need to be near him, to see him breath, to know he is no longer in danger. I won't be able to do anything else until I see him well again."

The headmistress just nodded her head and went to the matron's office.

"Poppy, I believe you wanted to talk," she said.

"Well, Minerva, what did Miss Potter tell you?"

McGonagall repeated Lily's story.

"Did she tell you how she healed the boy?"

"No. She only said she tried to heal him." It took her another moment to fully understand. "Do you mean she healed him all by herself?"

"She sure did. When I reached there I found no more bleeding; only four long scars which were healing quickly. By the time we reached the hospital wing they were almost fully healed. From the look of it I believe there will be no scar visible before he even wakes up. He only needed some blood replenishing potion and some rest to heal completely."

"How did she do it?" pondered Minerva.

"She put her hands over the gushes and she 'willed him to heal' as she said. She must be a tremendously powerful healer."

"She is just tremendously powerful in everything she does. It's scary, and yet Miss De-Poitiers is just as powerful. I dread the thought of what may happen if they both put their minds to something."

"Are you thinking about…" the matron's face turned worried.

"Oh, they won't go dark, I'm sure, but just consider the pranks they may play…"

"Oh, no…"

"Oh, yes! Don't forget she is a Marauder's granddaughter, and she is very close to George Weasley. Need I say more?"

The matron looked pale.

"How is the boy doing?" the headmistress asked her.

"Let's check him now."

They both approached the sleeping Andrew, not failing to notice his hand held firmly in Dianna's. Madam Pomfrei waved her wand above the sleeping Andrew and watched as different misty forms appeared above him.

"Will he be OK?" a worried Dianna asked her.

"More than OK. It looks like his magical core has been enhanced, and maybe some other aspects as well. It's still too early to tell."

"I've noticed his aura changing, but I wasn't sure if it was a good sign. Are you sure?"

"It is a very good sign," the matron assured her.

Back in the office, the older women looked at each other wonderingly. "Is it Lillian or Dianna who is making his core stronger?" they wondered.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	13. Chapter 13: Marauders' Map

**Ch13: Marauders' Map**

It was a stormy day. The winds were so wild that several windows shattered, letting the mingled rain and snow into the corridors. Lessons were canceled and the house elves brought the meals into the common rooms, to spare the students exposure to the weather.

Lilly was quite bored. She had no homework to complete, no unread book and she had listened to her MP3 player so many times by then that she already knew all the songs by heart.

She tried to communicate telepathically with Dianna, who was sitting just as bored in the Ravenclaw common room. She managed to contact her, but a real conversation could not be held. It seemed like such communication took a lot of concentration and quite a bit of magic on the initiator's side. While she could keep such a connection for a short while, Dianna seemed unable to even initiate it.

Lilly started rummaging through her trunk, hoping to find something to occupy her. After pulling out almost all the contents of her trunk she found a piece of parchment which looked quite old and empty, yet it had been put in a protective envelope, so it must have been important. It didn't take her long to recall her conversation with her father before she went to Hogwarts. He had told her then that this was something from his father and it was very useful, yet she had to find how to use it by herself. Lilly had totally forgotten about it up to that moment. She thought it was time to find out.

She put the parchment on her pillow and sent all the other stuff back magically, so that everything settled down nicely. She then sat on her bed and closed the drapes to get some privacy, although she was alone in the dormitory at the moment.

Lilly unfolded the parchment and examined it. She could feel it was enchanted but she didn't know how. She tried to remember everything she had heard about her grandfather. She knew he was a prankster and was full of mischief while he attended Hogwarts. She actually wondered if he had ever really settled down, yet there was no way to find out. He was really up to no good at the time.

Her thoughts came back to the parchment. If it was something prepared by James Potter and his friends then it was probably protected by a password. It couldn't be something too elaborate, of that she felt sure, yet the possibilities were still endless. 'They were up to no good' she kept thinking. She then shrugged and tried her idea. She touched the parchment with her finger and said quietly "I'm up to no good".

Ink lines started spreading from the place where her finger touched. She looked with fascination at the image which was being drawn in front of her. It was a map of the whole castle with little dots moving on it, each with a name attached to it, showing the positions of the castle's inhabitants. She studied the map for a few minutes, trying to understand the magic behind it as well as noticing all the details of the castle of which she had not been aware before.

She found eight passages leading to Hogsmead. She knew most of them were already blocked due to the war – she had heard it during the adults' talks at home. The only one which was probably still open was the one starting under the Whomping Willow, yet she didn't really care. She could freely apparate from Hogwarts, so these passages were redundant for her.

She also noticed some hidden passages within the school, ones that could shorten the way between distant points. One was even connecting the corridor in front of the common room to the corridor passing near the Ravenclaw common room. She knew both her and Dianna would make good use for it.

Lilly heard footsteps on the stairs. Not wanting others to learn about this map she thought of how to turn it blank again. 'What would the marauders use it for?' she thought. 'Probably just for mischief.'

She tried whispering "mischief done". It didn't work. She tried a few more variations on the theme until "mischief accomplished" cleared the map, leaving only a blank parchment in her hand. She folded it neatly and tucked it under her pillow before opening the drapes and joining her classmates in the common room.

The storm died out during the night. Breakfast was still served in the common rooms, as the staff was busy repairing the windows and clearing the corridors from ice and silt, but lessons were supposed to continue as usual. Only Herbology was still canceled. The greenhouse was also affected by the storm and it would take another day or two to make it safe for the students again. This gave Lilly and Dianna some time to spend at the library.

Lilly was glad to spend some time with Dianna. Although kept apart for only a day, she already missed her and they couldn't have a real conversation using telepathy as they had found out. Lilly was anxious to tell Dianna all the details about the map. "Why don't we try to make a better map?" she suggested.

"I don't know how to do it. That is probably the result of some very special spells, ones which we have not learned yet. I doubt they are even taught at all," commented Dianna.

"We have not been taught apparition either," noted Lilly, "nor how to turn invisible or to create shields and pluck wands silently and wandlessly, yet we've done it. We just need to think what it is that we need and how we want it to look. Our magic will do the rest."

Dianna was quite skeptic, but she agreed to help. They discussed what they wanted and how to achieve it a little longer until they decided on the details. Lillian took a large parchment from her bag and placed it on the table. She then held two corners of the parchment in her hands while Dianna held the other two. Both were also holding their wands for better effect. They concentrated on their task for a moment. Faint lines started appearing on the parchment, turning gradually darker until a full map of the castle was drawn on the parchment. Lilly shook her wand over the map and many marked points appeared on it. The dots were of various colors and shapes, denoting the house and the year of the students and a different color for the staff.

The girls were delighted. They started studying the map, talking enthusiastically with each other until they noticed the librarian coming towards them. They went silent at once. Lilly waved her wand over the map and it went blank and folded itself neatly before the librarian had a chance to glance at it.

"Now, girls! You know this is no way to behave at the library! Don't let me catch you talking loudly again or I'll have to ban you from the library."

"Sorry, Mrs. Pince. This won't happen again!" both girls promised. The librarian looked at them some more, as if contemplating what to do and then smiled tightly. "It better not!" she said and returned to her place. She had already known these two were devoted to studying seriously and researching the library, yet such noise could not be tolerated.

It was nearly time for the next lesson. Lilly put the map in her bag as they left the library. "Can we make another map? I'd like one as well." Dianna was already thinking of all the uses she could get form such a map.

"I'll duplicate it before dinner," promised Lilly.

"How will you do it?" Dianna wondered.

"Just the way I made my damping wand," was the answer. "Do you still use your damping wand?" she added.

"Not anymore. I still overpower some spells occasionally but it is quite safe to use now. Do you?"

"Usually not. I still use it during transfiguration, though, as I need finer control for that. The training that we have done really helped me a lot." Lily sounded satisfied.

"It helped me as well. I think we may still need to train a bit, though."

"We can train this weekend. Maybe we can also visit Mom and Dad… Well, MY mom…"

Dianna laughed. "It's alright. I call Lady Black Mamman, so Mom can be Lady Potter."

They hugged each other before parting to their respective classes.

Narcissa left Friday evening, as usual. The girls didn't tell her of their programs, wanting it to be a surprise. Saturday morning, after having breakfast with their friends and telling them they will be practicing some more, the two girls apparated to the house at Godric Hollow.

Nobody seemed to be awake yet. Hermione's car was in the parking, testifying that she was already back from the hospital. "Mom has probably gone to bed as soon as she returned. These night shifts are very tiring for her," commented Lilly.

The girls approached the master bedroom door and listened attentively. They could hear no noise. Lillian made them invisible and they apparated to the other side of the door.

Harry was sleeping peacefully. His head was resting on Narcissa's breasts but he was hugging a very pregnant Hermione to his chest. Hermione seemed to be asleep as well, yet Narcissa was already awake. She was caressing Harry's head fondly with her free hand while the other was cradling both Harry and Hermione. A content smile was resting on her face, making both girls happy.

Lillian pressed Dianna's hand and they both apparated back to her room and played a computer game for awhile.

"Lilly!" they heard Rose before they could even see her. The littler girl hugged her sister fiercely before hugging Dianna as well, though not as enthusiastically. Her voice seemed to wake her brother. James came into the room a moment later, still bleary-eyed. He didn't hug any of the girls yet he stood as close to Lilly as he could.

"Where's Teddy?" asked Lilly a few minutes later, noticing that the older boy didn't join them yet.

"Andromeda invited him for the weekend," Rose told her.

"How come you are here?" asked James.

"We wanted to show something to Daddy and we also wanted to practice a bit."

"How long will you stay?" asked Rose.

"We must not stay much later then lunch." Her siblings seemed disappointed. "We promised Andrew and Julius to be back by dinner. Aunt Minnie would be angry if we are not back by then."

The noise seemed to reach the adults as well. A very sleepy Harry emerged from the master bedroom, wearing his shorts only. "What's this noise, children?" he asked.

"Lilly is here along with Dianna!" a very happy Rose informed him. It took him a bit to digest the information.

"Lilly?" he said, entering her room. "Why are you here?"

Lilly hugged her father first and then she told him: "I wanted to give you back the Marauders' Map. I know how precious it is for you. I also wanted to show you our version of the map."

Harry was still a bit sleepy. "I'm sorry; I just can't follow you. Let's go to the kitchen and by then I may better understand what you're saying." He then remembered his clothing, or rather – lack of. "I'll just wear something before joining you there…"

The four children went to the kitchen. While the house-elves were normally responsible for preparing food at the mansion and at other Potter and Black houses, Hermione made it a custom to not use house-elves at Godric Hollow, which meant that they had to prepare breakfast themselves. Dianna filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove while Lilly prepared all the necessary ingredients for the meal. She was not yet sure of her ability to prepare the meal. Breakfast had always been Harry's specialty.

Harry joined them soon, followed by Narcissa. They didn't want to wake Hermione after her night shift, though. Harry prepared breakfast. The girls ate a bit as well, enjoying the taste of home cooking.

"Now, can you please explain why you came here?" Harry asked the girls after finishing his breakfast.

"I've brought you back the Marauder Map."

"Don't you find it useful?" he wondered.

"It's quite useful, but we managed to make a better one. Do you want to see?"

They moved to the living room. Lilly took the shrunk parchment out of her denim pocket and tapped it once with her wand to enlarge it. She spread the seemingly blank parchment in front of her and then tapped it once again, making the map appear.

Harry could clearly see the improvement compared to the original map. "How did you make this map?" he asked.

"We didn't really make it. We only concentrated on what we wanted to achieve and let our magic do it for us," Lilly told him, leaving her father overwhelmed by the achievement.

Narcissa, who wasn't too interested to start with, came closer to see what impressed her husband so deeply. She took a closer look at the parchment and started noting the details. Once she understood what it was, she also felt overwhelmed.

The girls didn't wait for the adults to gain the power of speech again. "We're going out to practice," they said before apparating to the farther side of the backyard grove.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	14. Chapter 14: Training

_A.N. Sorry for the delay. My old computer died and it took some time to buy a new one and restore everything into working order_

* * *

**Ch14: Training**

It was another weekend. Andrew had already healed completely, yet Dianna stayed near him whenever she could. They all sat together at breakfast, as usual: Lillian, Dianna, Andrew and Julius.

"I'd like to train again," said Lilly.

"You know we can't train here. Don't you remember what happened last time?" Dianna reminded her.

"I remember very well, but we don't have to do it here, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"We can apparate to one of the estates, pick a secluded place and train there."

Julius didn't understand. "What are you training for and what happened during training?"

Dianna turned red while Lilly just cast a strong privacy shield around them.

"We are trying to gain better control of our magic – Lilly and I. We are usually overpowering our spells and we need a special damping wand to refrain from blasting everything. Last time we tried, Andrew sneaked on us and I almost killed him. I don't want to ever feel again like I felt then." There were tears in Dianna's eyes.

Julius turned to the boy. "I didn't know. I only thought you didn't feel well for a day. Are you alright, Andrew?"

"I'm fine. It looks like Lilly and Madam Pomfrei did a very good job. I can hardly even see the scars, and they are getting fainter every day."

"What do you mean Lilly? She's not a healer."

"She's just a kid, like me, but she is the one who actually healed me. Madam Pomfrei only gave me some blood replenishing potion and forced me to rest for a day, to make me stronger. It also looks like she made me a stronger wizard as well. I now get much better results during charms, transfiguration and DADA."

Julius turned his gaze towards Lillian. "Did you really do it, Lilly?"

She only shrugged. "I healed him, alright, but I did nothing about his magic. It may either be a side effect, or maybe Dianna did this for him. She stayed at the hospital wing near him until he was released."

Julius thought for a moment. "May I join you when you train? I really want to see what your problem is. Maybe I can even help you then."

"That's alright with me," Lilly said, looking at Dianna, who nodded her approval. "Just wait for us near the transfiguration class in half an hour and make sure nobody looks for you until lunch."

They met again half an hour later. Lillian led the group to a hidden corridor, where they all held hands. A moment later they were all looking at a large house, bordering a medium forest. "We can train on the edge of the forest. Nobody lives in this house and the elves were instructed not to interfere."

Dianna conjured a long wooden bench for the boys while Lilly collected some wood for the practice. She then transfigured one of the largest chunks of wood into a marble pedestal, on which she put some of the wood.

Julius sat agape. "I don't think anybody in my class can do this kind of magic which they are doing just as preparations, not even using wands or spells." He turned to Andrew. "You know you should tell nobody about this."

Andrew was quite offended. "Hey! They are my friends as well. Why should I do anything like that?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I only want to protect my friends, just like you."

The girls tried first to cast the spells using their damping wands, just to get the "feel" of the spells. The loaves of bread that they conjured were neatly sliced without any damage to the marble pedestal. When trying the same spell on a piece of wood, only shallow scratches appeared.

"You seem to be doing just fine," noted Julius.

"These are damping wands. They dampen the magic, allowing only a small fraction to really be transferred to the spell," Dianna explained.

"May I try?" Julius asked.

"Sure!"

Julius stood in front of the pedestal while Lilly conjured another loaf of bread. Julius tried the spell with the damping wand – he could hardly scratch the crumb with it. He then tried it again with his own wand, slicing the bread neatly, but only partially – the slices stayed connected in the farther quarter of their length. Julius said nothing.

"My I try as well?" Andrew asked.

Dianna gave him the wand. He managed to scratch the crumb a bit deeper, yet when using his own wand he sliced the bread fully.

"I'm not sure I could do this a few weeks ago," he noted.

The girls then replaced the wands and tried again. At first, every piece of wood was blasted so powerfully that the boys needed to move their bench farther. After exercising for about an hour, Lillian managed to only slice the wood without blasting it apart, but only once.

After two more hours, both girls managed to only slice pieces of wood, yet their spells were still too powerful for the bread.

"I think you've advanced quite enough for one day," Julius told them. "Let's go back for lunch now."

The girls just held hands, each with one boy and reappeared at the same corridor from which they left.

"I'm glad we didn't harm anybody today," Dianna noted bitterly.

"You did extremely well," Andrew told her. "I can now understand why I was hit so badly, and also how powerful a healer Lilly must be, to heal me so well."

Lilly felt her face redden.

"He is right, Lilly. You are extremely powerful, and you are also a very good friend," Julius told her. This made her face even redder.

By now, both girls went to the weekly meetings with Narcissa as well as the weekend meetings with Minerva. Lilly wanted her "Aunt Minnie" to get to know Dianna as a person and not only as a student. Minerva was impressed not only by her magical powers but even more by the beaming personality of the blonde, so unlike the other Malfoys that she had met. Dianna felt that her mother and her good friend should feel comfortable with each other, especially since they were family now. Both women agreed willingly to meet both girls at once and were very glad to hear of the girls gaining better control of their magic. They also noted the closer relations which started to form with the two boys, but none commented on it.

It was not unusual for Andrew and Lilly to become close friends, being sorted to the same house. It was somewhat unusual for a third year boy – Julius – to get interested in a first year girl, especially one not in his house, yet it was understandable, considering their previous friendship. It was very unusual for a first year boy to show interest in a girl, let alone one in another house, as well as for a first year girl to show interest in a boy her age, not even in her own house. Yet Dianna and Andrew were becoming inseparable during their free time. They could be seen doing homework in the library together, usually with Lilly nearby; they were sitting together at meals and at any lessons they had in common; they were even seen taking a stroll along the lake together, although keeping a slight distance between them.

Lilly came into the common room that morning and noticed a large group of first year students near the billboard, most looking quite bewildered. She approached to find the cause. A large note was posted there:

"_All first year girls are requested to attend a special lecture with Madam Pomfrei. The lecture will be held on Thursday at six PM and will last about an hour."_

"Why only girls?" one of the girls complained.

A second-year girl passed by and noted: "Don't worry. You wouldn't like boys to hear that…"

This only made the younger girl more anxious.

"This is probably about becoming women," Lilly told her.

"About SEX!" a boy nearby shouted, making several girls change colors.

Dianna grabbed her aside as soon as she arrived to the great hall. "Do you know anything about that lecture?"

"I know nothing, but I assume it is about us becoming women quite soon. Some of the girls are starting to get curves, as I noticed at the showers. One has even got her period already. Luckily she has an older sister, so she was ready."

Dianna reddened considerably. "Are you sure? It would be so embarrassing to speak openly about such intimate things…"

"I don't find it embarrassing, really. We are all going to pass into adulthood and into womanhood sooner or later, and it is basically the same for each and every one of us. Using the common showers you have already heard most of it from older girls and you have surely seen how they change. We've even seen our mothers naked, so…"

"I don't go to the showers when there's somebody else there…" Dianna admitted quietly.

"You don't?" Lillian looked incredulous. "You're missing all the fun! I sometimes stay there behind the curtains to hear the older girls talk about their experiences with boys. Some are really funny!"

Dianna didn't argue, but didn't look convinced either.

Thursday didn't come soon enough, eventually. Some boys kept teasing the girls, especially the ones who seemed more anxious about the lecture. Lillian escaped the teasing, as her indifferent reaction was not what they were looking for. Dianna only escaped while in the company of Lilly or Andrew, as her constant blushing fueled more teasing.

Once they reached the lecture, it turned out to be very informative, teaching the girls all they needed to know about their developing bodies and the hygiene required, as well as magical and mundane ways to help a girl through the difficult days. The healer finished her lecture by teaching the girls some contraceptive spells and giving them each a pamphlet describing those spells and summarizing the other topics as well.

"You can now threaten a boy that you will deprive him of fatherhood," joke Lilly. "You don't have to tell him that the spell only holds for an hour or so."

Dianna didn't answer. She had a kind of dreamy look on her face. "Do you think Andrew will make a good father when we are older?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

* * *

**_Please Review!_**


	15. Chapter 15: Malfoy Manor

**AN:** Sorry for the long delay, but RL tends to change one's priorities occasionally. I hope to update more regularly in the future.

**April 2006 **

**Ch15: Malfoy Manor**

"Will you join us at Easter?" asked Lillian.

"I don't think so. Mom wants me to visit Malfoy manor and become closer with Draco and his wife. She has divorced my father, but not my brother, you know. Maybe you could visit us there?"

"I'm not sure your brother would really like a Potter to visit there, and even if he does, I know Mom and Dad have some very bad memories concerning that place."

"I didn't know they ever visited the Manor."

"Not really visited. It was during the war. They were captured, I don't really know how, and were brought there. Dad and Uncle Ron were put in the dungeons while Mom had been tortured by your Aunt Bellatrix. Eventually they managed to escape, but it took Mom quite a while to recover."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I've never read about it in any of the books about the war."

"That's OK. My parents hadn't told quite everything about what had happened to them during the war. It looks like there are some things they would rather not talk about – they probably hurt too much even now."

They could still stay together on the train to London, but once there, Lillian just apparated home while Dianna and her mother Floo'ed to Malfoy Manor.

Dianna floo-called Lillian that same evening. "It's really magnificent here. Everything is shining in gold with green tapestries and drapes. All rooms are huge! Yet I like it better at your home, or even at Potter Manor. It is just as elegant but much friendlier."

"It's nice to hear that," replied Lilly.

"I asked my brother to invite you here. He wasn't very glad about it but said you may come and he promised to act nicely. I think his wife, Astoria, is quite eager to meet you and maybe your parents as well. Will you come?"

"I'll ask my parents. They have accepted you and your Mom and made you family, but it doesn't mean that they like your brother."

"I'm not sure he even likes himself, yet he can be very well-behaved if he wants to. Please talk with them and let me know."

Hermione was still at work at the hospital, so Lilly couldn't yet ask her, but agreed to ask as soon as possible.

She didn't really have a chance. A few minutes after Hermione returned home, the floo flared again. Mrs. Astoria Malfoy asked to talk privately with Lady Potter. The conversation took almost half an hour. When Hermione joined the rest of her family she looked quite confused.

"What is it, darling? She didn't insult you, I hope," Harry asked concernedly.

"Oh, she didn't insult me at all. She was as polite and even as warm as you could expect. It's just... She surprised me."

Hermione sat down, still deep in thought. Harry brought her a cup of tea, knowing she would tell him everything in her own way. She just smiled at him thankfully. It took her some more time to start talking again.

"Astoria called in order to formally invite us all on a visit to Malfoy Manor. Draco has already told her of our experience there during the war. He wasn't proud about it or about whatever he had done during that time. Astoria told me that he is slowly getting out of his father's shadow and starts thinking on his own, realizing how awful his behavior had been, though he still has a long way to go."

Harry raised a brow, but said nothing,

"Astoria also wanted to emphasize that neither she, nor her sister, ever took part in Draco's activities during our school years. Their parents opposed the dark lord and tried to secretly help his opponents without attracting his attention. They left for south America soon after the war, as they felt that their actions were not appreciated and many still considered them a dark family, despite their documented deeds."

"I didn't know about them. I've not found any documents concerning them – neither good nor bad," commented Harry.

Lilly thought it was a good time to ask. "Dianna wants me to come and visit her there. Do you think I should go?"

Both her parents looked at her. "Do you want to go?" Hermione asked her tenderly.

"Dianna is my best friend, and now she is my sister as well. She believes there is no danger in going there, so yes – I want to go."

"Fine. I'll talk with Astoria and make sure she is ready before you go there, and we shall join you for the festive meal the next day."

Dianna was waiting at the Floo when Lilly arrived. After hugging her and then straightening her clothes Dianna took Lilly to the study, where Astoria was taking care of some business.

"Astoria, this is my friend and my step-sister Lilly Potter!" Dianna introduced them.

Astoria stood up and walked towards the girls. She grabbed Lillian's hand and welcomed her. "Dianna wanted so much to have you here that I was also looking forward to meeting you."

Lilly smiled, somewhat nervously. "I'm glad to meet you, Lady Malfoy."

"Oh, just call me Astoria or ever Stori, except on formal occasions. We are practically family now and I feel that first-name relations are the best."

Lillian smiled, no longer as nervous. "Then you should call me Lilly, I believe."

Astoria smiled at her. "Of course, Lilly. Has Dianna shown you around?"

Both girls shook their heads. "Well, you should take a tour of the manor and its gardens. They were practically destroyed during the war and we are very proud of having restored them to their previous glory."

She then added in an afterthought: "My husband will only be home for dinner. I believe he will behave nicely. His sister has already taught him a few lessons..." It was clear what kind of lessons these were.

They spent most of the day just touring the manor and the gardens. Lilly understood why the Malfoys were so proud of the garden. It was more magnificent than any garden she had seen before. She didn't like the manor that much, though. While extremely elegant and decorated in the best taste with no unnecessary extravagance, it was too formal even in the living quarters. It lacked the warmth she has always associated with "home" wherever it might be. She missed that feeling which made her feel at home at Potter Manor, Granger house, Potter house at Godric Hollow and even at Hogwarts. Malfoy Manor felt **cold** even where the temperatures were high.

They were already sitting at the dinner table when Draco arrived. He looked at Lilly and seemed to wince slightly, yet his welcome was polite and even a bit warm. "When looking at you I'm reminded immediately of your parents. We've had our share of conflicts, yet they saved my life." He seemed to want to say more but he stayed silent.

"Thank you. Mr. Malfoy," Lilly responded.

"I believe you should call me Draco while here and I'll call you Lilly. I like it better than 'Potter'."

The girls only smiled.

Draco paid no more attention to the girls, which was perfectly OK with Lilly. She spent the evening getting to know Astoria and chatting with Dianna and Narcissa as well.

She didn't see Draco the next morning either. He was busy at the study most of the day while Astoria was making sure that dinner would be a memorable event. She seemed to be very excited of having the Potters as guests and was doing her best to make their visit successful.

The Potters arrived using the Floo just on time. Harry, Hermione, James and Rose were all dressed in elegant robes. After being welcomed by their hosts they all went to the dining room, where Narcissa, Dianna and Lilly were already waiting.

"I hoped you'd bring Teddy as well," commented Narcissa.

"His grandmother wanted him with her for dinner," explained Hermione.

"We should have probably invited her as well," said Astoria pensively, "but we wanted to first get to know you better before expanding the group."

There was little talk during dinner, as the food deserved undivided attention. Harry and Hermione praised the food wholeheartedly and Hermione insisted on going to the kitchen and thanking the cooks personally. Astoria, wearing a bemused expression, escorted her while Narcissa showed Harry and the children to the living room.

Harry looked around, as if searching for something that wasn't there. "We've changed this room completely," Draco told him. "It held some very bad memories for Mom and for me. I'm sure that you and your wife don't have fond memories of this room either, so the change is welcome for you as well."

Harry only nodded. He could still hear in his mind Hermione's cries of pain in that same room, yet it looked completely different. It now resembled a muggle living room, with a large TV set and a stereo system on one wall and a personal computer on a dedicated table at the corner. He couldn't find the stairs leading to the dungeons. Draco noted his searching gaze.

"We made the whole cellar into wine and food storage area, directly connected to the kitchen. We had to demolish and rebuild parts the north wing, where too much dark magic has been absorbed by the walls. It is not yet finished, though..." he said.

Harry could finally relax. He knew that Hermione would not feel threatened in that room. He could finally try to talk with Draco as members of the same family.

"How come you installed such muggle technology in the manor?" he asked, pointing at the TV and the computer.

"It is really due to Astoria," replied Draco. "She traveled with her parents when they decided to leave England and she became acquainted with muggle technology. We spent quite a lot of effort before we managed to make these work in the manor, yet we can now enjoy television, radio and even internet. Yet I had to hire an office in a muggle environment in order to fully enjoy the benefits these technologies can give to my businesses."

"What are your businesses, actually? I hope I don't bump into some secrets, though."

"It's no secret at all. We've always used to breed peacocks. While the market is not big, there are very few competitors and Malfoy peacocks are the most beautiful you can find. Using magic, we can even supply peacocks with any tail pattern one likes, which is a big advantage with some rich customers.

"There are also some commercial firms in which we have considerable shares, some even in common with Potter, yet these demand very little of my attention.

"My newest venture was actually inspired by the garden. When we had to restore it, I started learning all that I could about the different plants and flowers needed to make a garden look its best throughout the year. I'm now using the knowledge and the experience I gained from this to design gardens for my clients. This seems to become my most lucrative venture."

While Draco and Harry were discussing the merits of different businesses, Rose was escorted by Scorpius – the only Malfoy child, who was somewhat close to her age – into the playroom adjacent to the living room. It had taken the shy boy almost the whole dinner to start talking with his guest, but now he was already very happy to show her around. James followed, partly to keep an eye on the younger children and partly of boredom.

Astoria and Hermione needed a long time to join the rest of the family. They had started a conversation with the house-elves at the kitchen, which eventually became a very interesting study of their origins, their history and their beliefs. Both women were enchanted by what they learned. Hermione was so preoccupied that she didn't even think of the room she was sitting in before they finished the visit.

A few hours later, when the Potters were heading to the Floo, Hermione invited the Malfoys for dinner in three weeks. Astoria was glad to accept and even Draco was no longer reluctant about it.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	16. Chapter 16: Married Bliss

A.N: Sorry for the delay

**Ch16: Married Bliss**

"I'm so glad this week is over!" Hermione said, plopping on the couch.

"Why? Was it any different from other weeks?" Harry inquired.

"Not really… It's just… Well, I'm pregnant," she said, pointing at her swollen belly.

"It's really hard to tell," said Harry, caressing her belly while directing her head to rest on his shoulder.

"Oh, you don't understand!" Hermione moaned, while tucking her head under his chin. "Pregnancy makes me feel heavy and makes me move clumsily, turning even simple actions into complex endeavors. I would have taken the rest of my pregnancy off from work, but they seem to need me more than expected. Whenever I come late, no matter the cause, they just wait for me to guide them as if I was the department's head. Actually, he also likes to hear my opinion before deciding!" She sounded frustrated.

"It only happens because you are the best," Harry told her soothingly.

"I'm NOT! I wish I knew as much as the senior doctors or the chief healers. Why don't they leave me alone?"

"Because you are the smartest, the most intelligent and the most beautiful witch of our times," Harry whispered in her ear.

Hermione moved a bit and then took Harry's hand and put it on her belly, so he could feel the movements of the baby. "Where are the kids?" she asked.

"Your parents took them for the night. They'll bring them back tomorrow afternoon as they have tickets for the theater tomorrow evening. Teddy asked me to stay with his friends for the night. I thought it would be nice to spend a night without worrying about the children."

Hermione glanced at the wall clock. "Narcissa will soon be here. Would you make us dinner or do you like to take us to a restaurant?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I'd rather have it here. I don't want to spend hours on dining out while I could spend them enjoying my wife instead."

"You have two wives…" Hermione reminded him.

"You know perfectly well what I mean," he told her.

"Don't you love her?"

Harry didn't reply at once. He had always found it difficult to speak about his emotions. Hermione taught him to open up a bit – he was now able to show his love her and the children– yet Narcissa, although Lady Black now, was still Mrs. Malfoy for him most of the time. It was easy to love her in bed, where she was just a loving woman. It was different when thinking of her abstractly while she wasn't present.

"It is different, you know… You are the love of my life, the one who stood at my side since I was eleven, the one with whom I've grown so closely that I didn't even know I loved you at first. I don't think I could live without you…" He went silent.

"What about her?" Hermione prodded him to continue.

"It didn't come as natural. She is very pretty – that helped some, of course, yet I didn't really fall in love with her before we married. I don't think she fell in love with me either. It was only later, when she started interacting with us, that I discovered the warm, loving woman behind the haughty façade she was always presenting. This made me love her, yet it's no match for the love I feel for you. I could live without her. I can't without you."

Hermione felt the tears swelling in her eyes. She loved this man unconditionally with all her might. It was reassuring to know that he loved her just the same. She lifted her head to him and touched his lips with hers, starting a deep, passionate kiss.

Harry responded with just as much feeling, embracing her in his arms and feeling his eyes moisten as well. They were surprised when another pair of arms joined the hug and some blond hair cascaded over them.

"Narcissa! You're early," noted Harry, once the three way hug disentangled.

"I've had my things ready beforehand, so that I could come here as soon as the last lesson ended," she explained.

"You heard?..." he asked, not really sure how to phrase it.

"Everything. I know you love Hermione more than I could ever hope to be loved, yet the love you give me is much more than I've ever experienced; certainly more than I had the right to expect, considering our past."

"So, you aren't jealous?"

"Of Hermione? I could never be. She is like my daughter in a way and then it is only due to her that I've even got the chance to be loved again, something I used to think would never happen. I'm just too glad that you have both accepted me and let me share your love."

Harry lifted his arm, inviting Narcissa to sit on his other side, so that he could hug both his wives. She joined them willingly.

They spent some time in silence, just enjoying each other's company and feeling close.

"I think it's time to start preparing dinner," Harry said. "Why don't you two go change from your work clothes into something more comfortable? The kids will not be home until tomorrow, so…" He let the sentence hang, smiling suggestively.

The two women giggled happily before he helped them rise from the couch and then headed to the master bedroom.

Harry was still busy in the kitchen when the two joined him. They were both wearing semi transparent night gowns, leaving very little to Harry's imagination. Hermione joined him and started preparing the salad, while Narcissa, whose culinary talents were even less than Hermione's, started setting the table elegantly for three people. She conjured some flowers for decorations and added some candles for romantic atmosphere.

The food was not yet ready when she finished setting the table, so she started looking through the Potter music collection. She had not known how to operate a CD player before she married Harry, but now she could already identify most of the CDs and the music. She chose some instrumental light music which was not too loud to interfere with the conversation yet set a pleasant mood without being overly romantic.

The meal was ready soon after she started the music playing. Harry asked his wives to sit down while he served, putting the filled plates in front of them before taking his own portion and sitting on the seat they reserved for him between them two.

Harry found it very difficult to concentrate on his food. The two practically naked women at his sides supplied many distractions. Their eyes fluttered at him, their lips looked as if inviting kisses, their full breasts jiggled as they moved, attracting his eyes to their fullness and to the erect nipples crowning them and even their swelling bellies reminded him of what he had done to make them pregnant, making his body ready for a replay.

By the time they finished the desert, Harry felt so horny that he could wait no more. He grabbed Hermione's hand and led her to the nearest sofa, not bothering to reach the bedroom. On their way there – just a few paces – Hermione managed to get rid of his shirt and his trousers while her gown was eagerly removed by Harry, leaving her in her birth clothes.

Harry's shorts soon disappeared, revealing his erect member. Hermione positioned herself on all four, inviting him to enter her "doggy style". Harry didn't need a second invitation. His member soon sank between her wet nether lips and he started pumping slowly first and then faster and faster, as Hermione urged him to go faster and deeper.

Narcissa removed her gown as well and then sat at the side of the sofa, leaning back to catch Hermione's nipple in her mouth while one hand massaged the other nipple and the remaining hand found Hermione's tender spot and caressed it in rhythm with Harrys' movements.

With all the attention she was getting, it didn't take long for Hermione to climax. Her inner muscles tightened around Harry's member and brought him to his own climax as his seed splashed into her body.

Narcissa had hardly moved her head on time as Hermione collapsed on the sofa with Harry at her side, careful no to press on her pregnant belly. She was also very horny now, yet she didn't expect Harry to be able to give her a repeat performance immediately. She was sure her turn would come before they went to sleep, though. She just continued to caress both younger people with a delicate smile on her face.

Hermione was becoming very sleepy. Harry helped her to her feet, supporting most of her weight while Narcissa tried to help as well. Hermione plopped on the bed as soon as they reached their bedroom, and fell asleep promptly with a lazy smile still plastered on her face. Harry kissed her tenderly and pulled the blanket over her naked body.

Narcissa didn't wait any longer. She started caressing Harry and rubbing her naked body against his. It didn't take long for him to respond. He kissed her and caressed her, paying special attention to her swelling belly and her enlarged breasts. She was already too horny for much foreplay. She soon positioned herself on the edge of the bed, supporting her bottom yet leaving her legs free. Harry crouched between her legs and kissed her tender spot, yet she had no more patience. "In! Now!" she urged and he complied.

It didn't take very long for them to reach climax. Both were too exhausted to do anything else by then. They just pulled the blanket over their bodies and fell asleep, with Harry hugging both his wives.

* * *

At Hogwarts, Lillian and Dianna were doing homework at the library. Lillian had sensed a wave of satisfaction from her parents while still at dinner and now she was sensing another one.

"Your mother is happy now with Dad," she commented.

"I know. Both our mothers are content now." Dianna smiled happily at her stepsister as they both giggled.


	17. Chapter 17: Memorial

**Witch Way**

Name suggested by Cateagle

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the recognizable characters, though I wish I did. They are all property of J.K. Rowling and her business associates, except for Lillian and the other characters I invented.

**May 2006 **

**Ch17: Memorial**

Hogwarts was going to host the main memorial ceremony, just as it did every year since the end of the war. While Professor Binns didn't change his curriculum, he was also no longer the only professor of History. Special lessons about the war were added, mostly as part of the DADA class, and a few others were designed for the whole school attendance, taking place in the great hall, arranged as a conference room for the occasions.

It was no surprise that Harry Potter happened to be one of the lecturers chosen to tell the students about the war, along with Hermione Potter née Granger. It was much more of a surprise to find Narcissa Black among the lecturers. Some of the others who were invited were Ginny Thomas née Weasley, George Weasley and Luna Weasley née Lovegood. Neville Longbottom was also expected to lecture.

The guest lecturers with their spouses arrived Sunday evening and were allotted lodging in the guest wing. Lilly was happy to meet her parents again as well as her parents' friends which she liked. She was quite glad to introduce them to Dianna, who didn't yet have the chance to meet some of them.

Dianna was also surprised when both Harry and Hermione hugged her just as warmly as they hugged Lillian, yet these hugs made her extremely happy, understanding that she was now a full member of the Potter/Black family with no reservations.

The adults, on the other hand, were not as happy. This meeting reminded them of the most horrible part of their lives, of friends dying, of suffering and of pain. They were not too glad to dwell on that time, yet they were fully aware of the importance of letting the young generation understand the sacrifices and value the freedom.

Harry's lecture was no news to Lillian. She had already heard more detailed descriptions of the war growing up with two of the heroes. It was an eye opener for Dianna, though. All she knew before was what she had read in books. Her French family was not interested to talk about "internal English affairs" and her biological family didn't like to talk about that era either. She could now understand why.

The real surprise, though, came at Narcissa's lecture. She tried to let the students understand that even those close to the Dark Lord couldn't feel any safer than the general populace.

"I've never really supported the Dark Lord. My birth family was quite bigoted, teaching us the kind of pureblood nonsense so common at the time. My parents believed it was true, but neither I nor my sisters accepted their ideals. If you try to logically consider them then you can see the flaws immediately. When comparing them to what happens in the real world you see they are completely irrelevant."

"Can you elaborate?" a student asked.

"Sure. You all know what squibs are – people born into a magical family who are not magical themselves. I can tell you that almost every pureblood family has such children. I know my family had two such children. They both died before reaching eleven, presumably due to accidents. My ex-husband has a squib sister who was deported to America. She still lives there as a muggle. Now, those of you who come from pureblood families, I'd like you to think hard and try to remember any hushed conversation you may have heard about cousins, sisters or brothers who have not been as magical as expected and of what happened to them."

Some students blanched considerably. Others looked confused. Only the muggle-born didn't know anything about that.

"There was an aunt whom my French family didn't ever mention when somebody else was present and whom they only visited secretly," Dianna whispered to Lilly.

Narcissa waited a bit longer before continuing.

"Now, considering the fact that most purebloods also have only one child or two at most, you can see that the purebloods are becoming extinct. If not for the half-bloods and the muggle-born, the magical society would have ceased to exist many generations ago."

This had the expected impact. Some paled considerably. Others were busy whispering to their friends, some quite loudly.

"There's also evidence that first and second generations wizards and witches are usually much more powerful than purebloods. The best example is actually the Dark Lord himself. His original name was Tom Marvollo Riddle. He was the son of Merope Gaunt – a pureblood witch with no significant powers, descendant from Slytherin, and Tom Riddle – a muggle."

There was a wave of whispers in class, just as she expected.

"Now, you all know who eventually defeated him, don't you?"

Some cried "Your Husband!" Others said "Harry Potter", and some others pointed at Lillian and said "Her parents."

Narcissa took the lead again. "Yes, Harry Potter – also a half-blood. His father, James Potter, came from a long line of strictly light wizards, while his mother, Lilly Evans was a muggle-born witch. She was also the most talented and powerful witch that Hogwarts had seen for many generations."

Some more whispers were heard.

"The only witch to surpass Lilly Evans was eventually one whom you all know." She paused for the effect. "She is the one who helped Harry Potter in all his adventured and is still by his side today." Somebody shouted "Hermione Potter!"

"Yes, Mrs. Potter is the one I'm talking about. She started Hogwarts only fifteen years ago as a muggle-born, named Hermione Granger, and soon became the most knowledgeable student, surpassing even the Ravencalws of her class. Your headmistress, who happened to meet both Hermione Granger and Lilly Evans as students, says they were both about the same level."

Lillian seemed quite proud. Her professor was actually speaking of her parents and her grandparents.

"I believe this is about enough elaboration," Narcissa told the student who asked for it. He only nodded silently.

She looked at her notes before speaking again. "Back to our original topic though. As I've told you, we didn't really stick with that bigotry. My eldest sister went as far as marrying a muggle-born wizard. My parents were furious and disowned her. I wasn't so brave. I married Lucius Malfoy – the heir of another bigoted family – in a prearranged marriage and my sister Bellatrix married similarly."

She stopped and sighed, looking Dianna in the eyes.

"I married fresh out of school and was too naïve to notice the involvement of my husband with the Dark Lord. I soon became pregnant and then a mother to a baby and I stayed blissfully unaware of his actions until the Dark Lord was defeated for the first time, after killing James and Lilly Potter. Harry, who was then barely a year old, miraculously survived and got nick-named 'The Boy Who Lived' – a name he always resented."

Some more hushed conversations erupted and stopped immediately.

"I was becoming aware of my husband's monstrosities when he was judged after the Dark Lord disappeared. I was even more surprised to find my sister Bellatrix among the most devoted supporters of the Dark Lord. It looked like she had adopted her husband's opinions completely. Lucius managed to convince the court that everything was done under the Imperius curse and escaped prison. I wasn't convinced, though. Lucius continued supporting the same agenda and acting as bigoted as his parents and mine, disregarding everything I said to him."

She looked sadly into Dianna's eyes.

"Let me skip some years forward. These were not happy years for me, although Lucius acted quite nicely with me and never made me suffer. My daughter was almost one year old when the Dark Lord reappeared. Lucius went to his side immediately. At first I thought it was because he still supported that madman, but as time passed I understood it better. Lucius was simply afraid. He was afraid for his life as well as the lives of his children and his wife – me."

A student raised his hand. "Why was he afraid? Wasn't he happy that his leader was back?"

"A very good question indeed," Narcissa complimented him.

"I must tell you a bit about the Dark Lord. You named him a leader. Well – he wasn't a leader. He demanded to be called 'Master' and his supporters were treated as his servants. He used to punish them regularly, either for things they did or for things they didn't or even just because he could. His regular punishment was to _'crucio'_ his victims. You will not learn this spell at school. It is one whose sole purpose is to cause incredible pain and suffering to the victim. Even a short exposure to this torture can cause severe damage. Longer exposure may maim a person, up to turning him to mere vegetative existence, or eventually kill. The Dark Lord did that as well. If somebody failed to do as ordered, then swift death was a welcome punishment. In most cases death was preceded by prolonged torture. None of his followers could feel safe from punishment."

The class went completely silent. Some of the children looked as if they were going to be sick while others paled.

"I was eventually forced to join his followers. The Dark Lord didn't like neutrality. Anybody who didn't actively support him was considered an enemy. I couldn't afford being considered an enemy. I managed to sneak my baby daughter out of the country, pretending she died in her sleep. I could do nothing of the sort for my son, though. To my horror, the Dark Lord made Malfoy Manor his headquarters. I'm still unable to talk about that period. It was too horrible to even think about."

Nobody said a word. Everybody could see the moisture in the teacher's eyes. She swallowed hard and continued.

"Eventually, somebody managed to capture 'the golden trio', as you've already heard from Mr. Potter. You also know that he managed to escape, taking our wands with him. This didn't go unpunished, once the Dark Lord found out."

Everybody shuddered at the thought.

"Then the word arrived: Harry Potter was spotted at Hogwarts. The Dark Lord assembled all his forces for what he believed would be his final victory. Hogwarts was well protected, though. Not only were most of the staff and the students ready to fight against the evil. Many other joined them and although most were untrained, they were still a force to be reckoned with. The Dark Lord used giants, trolls and dark creatures, yet they didn't change the balance in his favor. He didn't go into the fight, of course. He sent his servants to die for him. Mr. Potter acted exactly opposite. He could be seen wherever the fighting was fiercest, along with his two friends. Then Harry acted unexpectedly. He came to the Dark Lord bare-handed, ready to be killed. The Dark Lord didn't hesitate in sending the killing curse to Harry, who didn't even try to dodge it."

There was a loud gasp from the audience. Although the information had already been printed in many books and was already told, not as dramatically, by Harry, it was still a breath-taking moment.

"Harry fell on the floor of the forbidden forest and so did the Dark Lord. It was several minutes before the Dark Lord recovered his strength and sent me to make sure that Harry was dead."

"Why did he choose you?" a student asked.

"I don't really know. The Malfoys were no longer his favorites by that time. He hadn't killed us until then only because he thought he could still have some use of the Malfoy name. He probably thought this might be also some kind of torture. Anyhow, I knew that my only hope for living anything resembling normal life was in defeating the Dark Lord. You may imagine how I felt seeing my hopes shattered on the ground. I approached him reluctantly and I then noticed his chest moving just barely. I suddenly felt a new hope. I touched his chest and felt his heart beat. I was too excited to speak. 'Is he dead?' the Dark Lord asked me. 'He is', I replied, knowing that he wouldn't bother to check by himself."

The class seemed to breathe a bit. Lilly had some moisture in her eyes.

"The Dark Lord made Hagrid carry Harry to the front of the school, calling the defenders to surrender as Harry was dead. People were shocked. Harry's body was on the ground in front of the Dark Lord. Then another student, Neville Longbottom defied the Dark Lord, promising to never surrender. The Dark Lord tried to make an example of him. He removed his wand and made the sorting hat burst into flame on his head. To everybody's surprise, Neville took Gryffindor's Sword out of the hat and sliced off the head of the Dark Lord's pet snake – Nagini."

"Is it Professor Longbottom you are telling us about?"

"One and the same. Although he is a very gentle man, as you all know, he was a fierce and determined fighter at that moment, one I would not have dared to face. While the Dark Lord was shocked at the loss of his snake, Harry also disappeared, casting shielding spells over the fighters for Hogwarts. The battle erupted again in full force. The Dark Lord's army was pushing the defenders in, despite suffering heavy losses. We also saw the Hogwarts house-elves join the battle. Eventually Harry came to face the Dark Lord again. They both sent their spells at the same time. Harry sent only a disarming spell while the Dark Lord used the killing curse. The outcome seemed to be inevitable."

She stopped a moment for the dramatic effect.

"The disarming spell hit first. It snatched the wand from the Dark Lord's hand and turned it around, effectively turning his curse back on him. The Dark Lord died, hit by his own curse, before the wand even landed in Harry's hand."

"So Dad didn't really kill him…" Lillian said.

"Right! Mr. Potter has never killed anybody. He even managed to dispose of the most powerful Dark Lord ever known without using the killing curse. That in itself is extraordinary."

"Did you get the dark mark?" someone asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. The alternative was being killed instantly, and I still hoped to be able to protect my children from the worst."

"Can you show us the mark?" another asked.

Narcissa's pale complexion turned almost white. "It is not something I like to see, yet you deserve to know."

She reluctantly moved her sleeve up, revealing an ugly tattoo covering her lower arm. She didn't look at it.

"Isn't it supposed to be black?" somebody asked.

"It is," she answered, still avoiding looking at her arm.

"It's only pale brown," Lillian told her.

Narcissa finally dared to look at her arm. She was surprised to see that the mark had faded considerably. She did not know why.

The lesson continued with Narcissa telling about the trials of the death-eaters and how she and Draco were saved from prison by Harry's testimony. The students had many questions and she answered them all.

Dianna and Lillian were the last to stay in the class at the end of the lecture. Dianna hugged her mother. "I'm glad to finally hear about what happened during the war and I'm proud of you." Narcissa hugged her back, hardly holding the tears back.

Lilly joined the hug. "I'm proud to have you both as my family," she told them. Narcissa just hugged her silently, unable to hold her tears any longer.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	18. Chapter 18: Birth

**June 2006 **

**Ch18: Birth**

Lillian could hardly keep her eyes open. Professor Binns was droning about some long forgotten rebellion – she really couldn't care less about it. She still tried to listen, as opposed to most of her class mates who were fast asleep.

The monotony of the lesson was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. A third year Hufflepuff stood at the door. "I was asked to escort Miss Potter to the headmistress," he said timidly.

Professor Binns looked at the girl. "You may go," he told her and then continued in his monotone lecture.

"Do you know why she wants to see me?" Lilian asked the boy.

He shrugged. "I just happened to pass in the corridor when she came out of the office and asked me to fetch you. I know nothing else."

"I'm glad you're here," the headmistress told her. "Miss DePoitier and Mrs. Black should be here in a few moments as well."

Lillian was worried, "Is there anything wrong?" she asked.

The old lady smiled. "Nothing's wrong. On the contrary – we have a new cause to be happy."

Lillian couldn't ask for explanation, as the door opened, letting Narcissa and Dianna in.

"Well, now that you are all here I wish to congratulate you: Lady Potter has just given birth to a boy. I assume you would all like to visit her and the new addition to the family."

Both Lilly and Dianna jumped with joy. "We have a new brother!" while Narcissa asked: "Where are the mother and the newborn?"

"They are at St. Mungos. Harry informed me as soon as he could."

"May we use the floo to get there?"

"You may, but I believe your daughters have a better method," the headmistress replied.

Narcissa looked at the girls questioningly. They grabbed her hands and disappeared.

The three reappeared at the entrance hall of St. Mungos. "I don't know where Mom's room is," Lilly said.

Narcissa stepped to the reception desk and returned a moment later, leading the girls through the corridors until they reached the maternity wing. Harry was already waiting for them.

"Hermione is asleep at the moment, but you may go to that big window and see the baby," he told the girls, who immediately sprinted in that direction.

Harry looked at Narcissa now, smiling tenderly as his hand traced her swelling belly. "They will soon have another brother…" he said softly, as he led Narcissa to a padded bench and settled her comfortably down, before sitting by her side.

"How is Hermione?" Narcissa asked.

"Tired, sore and happy, as expected. She wanted to wait and see you, but the healers insisted that she must sleep to let the potions heal her body, as she knows quite well, actually. It won't be long, though. She will probably wake up in about half an hour to feed the baby."

Narcissa smiled. "I'm really anxious to be in the same position in a few months and I believe these two babies will be quite spoiled, with two doting mothers caring for them."

"And a doting father as well." Harry smiled at her.

"Daddy, Daddy! We've seen the baby! His aura is much stronger than the others'!" Both girls looked extremely happy and excited.

"Do you think he will have your talents?" inquired Harry.

Lillian's face fell. "No, he will be very powerful – more than James, I think – but not like me or Rose." She failed to notice the relief on her father's face.

"Where are James, Rose and Teddy?" she added.

"They are with Grandma and with Andromeda, respectively. Grandma is probably on her way here with the children. Would you like to wait for them at the entrance hall?"

The girls just ran away without even replying. "Our girls are fast becoming real sisters," Harry noted contentedly.

Narcissa only smiled and put her head on his shoulder. Although he was the same age as her son, Harry's presence seemed to sooth her relax her, quite unlike Draco's. She didn't have much time to relax, though. The girls returned a few minutes later, along with the three Grangers and the two younger Potters.

Lilly led the group to the viewing window to let everybody see her new brother. Narcissa also joined them. She was happy to see how well Dianna merged with the other children and somewhat surprised at the warm reception by the older Grangers, who were about her age.

"Hermione told us about you, Mrs. Black. I expected you would look my age, yet you look closer to hers," commented Mrs. Granger.

"Thank you for your compliment. Having found love and acceptance is sure to help. I believe that my pregnancy also helps me look younger. Please call me just Narcissa, or even 'Cissy' – as my sister calls me."

"Then I should insist you call me Jane." Both women smiled.

Mr. Granger introduced himself as well: "I'm Dave, Hermione's father. I must agree with my wife about your looks." His smile broadened as he noticed Narcissa blushing.

They were not allowed to see Hermione all together, once she woke up. Her parents went first, being too anxious to wait to see their daughter and their new grandson. Helen didn't join them, though. She was very busy talking in hushed tones with Lilly, Dianna and Rose.

Looking at the four girls, Harry felt as if the air was being charged with magic, as the four were clearly extremely powerful witches. He seemed to forget that he was quite powerful himself, especially since the binding on his magic had been removed, or else he would have not been able to sense the concentration of magic.

Eventually, the children were also allowed in, two by two, for very short visits. Lilly went in with Dianna while Rose was joined by Helen. James came in with Harry, but didn't stay too long. Unlike the girls, he found no interest in the bundle of cloth with just a tiny head peeping out. He only admitted his new brother was "cute".

Lilly, Dianna and Narcissa spent the rest of the week helping prepare the new room for the baby and then helping Hermione with the baby when they came home. Narcissa decided to move to a separate bedroom, so that Hermione would be able to rest better and would also not disturb her when waking up to feed the baby during the night.

The girls started spending many hours each day in the baby's room, until Hermione had to interfere. "He should learn to be alone sometimes. Your constant presence may make it difficult once you return to school." The girls agreed to limit their presence in that room, quite reluctantly.

They had some difficulty deciding the baby's name. Harry considered calling him "Albus Severus" commemorating the two last headmasters of Hogwarts, who fought the Dark Lord, yet Hermione felt such a name would be a burden for the child. She suggested another name – the name of her father – Dave.

Harry didn't like it. "I love your father, only it feels wrong to commemorate him while he's still with us. It is as if we can't wait for him to… Well, it just feels wrong to me!"

Hermione understood his feelings even if she didn't share them. "What about 'Sirius'?"

"You can't be serious…" he replied with a grin, reminding her of the deceased marauder. He then continued in a weighted tone. "I'd like this name to be given to the Black scion, if you don't mind."

Both Hermione and Narcissa nodded understandingly. Lilly, though, was tired of the name choosing discussions. "Why don't you call him Herbert? Your Evans grandfather had this name as well as the Granger grandfather. It will also fit your scheme of H.P. – Harry Potter, Hermione Potter, Herbert Potter. What do you say?"

The adults were left speechless while Dianna liked the name very much, as did James and Rose. Both her parents smiled at her. "Fine, if Herbert will ever have any problems with his name we shall send him to you."

It was a happy weekend with the whole family enjoying the nice weather, spending the time on the backyard. Even Kreacher came to congratulate and stayed to help serving the constant stream of guests. All the Weasleys came to see the newborn. Luckily they didn't all come at once. Many members of the DA visited or sent owls and many Wizengamot members as well, although not all their congratulations were really heartfelt.

Dudley arrived quite excited. "Millie wanted to come along, but she is under strict orders to stay in bed until she gives birth. I hope our children will become good friends." Harry hugged his cousin warmly while Dudley made sure not to hug too tightly – he was still a big, powerful man.

Sunday evening, Lilly was sorry to have to leave her new brother and go to Hogwarts for the remaining fortnight of school. She promised to "pop-in" as much as her free time would allow, though. Once back at school, both Lilly and Dianna went to the library to check the family tree. Sure enough, 'Herbert' was now written there as their new sibling.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	19. Chapter 19: Summer Vacation

**Ch. 19: Summer Vacation**

It was the last morning at school. Lillian was sitting alone at the breakfast table, staring at her food with unseeing eyes.

"A penny for your thoughts!" – Dianna's voice startled Lilly for a moment. She turned towards her friend who was making herself comfortable and loading her plate for breakfast.

"I'm a shame for the Marauders," commented Lilly.

"Why would you say this?"

"Well, the year is almost gone and I didn't play even one prank at school. My Potter grandfather would have been ashamed of me and Uncle George will surely have a few words to say on that matter."

Dianna looked at her friend with some confusion. "You actually took part in pranks played by Julius and I'm sure that some peculiar events were also connected to you, not to mention what we did in the Slytherin common room when they brought me there."

"These do not count. They weren't really my initiative and now there doesn't seem to be any time left for pranks." Lilly looked worried.

Dianna looked at her and then smiled. "You could play a prank at the farewell feast. I don't think it has ever been done."

Lillian looked a bit relieved. "Well, that's an option… What could I do, though?..."

It took her a few more moments of deep thinking. Andrew and Julius had already joined the girls by the time Lilly's face brightened. "I have an idea!"

"What about?" asked Julius.

"It's a surprise," was all he could get out of Lilly.

Not having any more lessons, the girls spent the morning in the library, searching through some books on exotic charms. Lillian protected their research by casting a privacy shield around their table. Nobody even noticed them there, especially since there was nobody else at the library.

No nagging during lunch could make the girls disclose their secret, and then they went to their dorms to pack for the voyage home due next morning.

The girls arrived together at the Great Hall, now sporting the four long house-tables. They were among the last to arrive, as the hall was already packed with students awaiting the feast. They went each to her house table without saying a word. Lillian went to the front of the hall, nearest to the teachers' table while Dianna stayed at the far end of the Ravenclaw table. They both stood at their places, waiting for the last students to arrive and then turned around with their hands open wide, as if trying to grab all the excitement around them and take it with them for the vacation.

"You remind me of Luna," commented Andrew, who was saving her a seat. He had already met the unusual witch during his visits with the Potters.

"Well, aren't you excited to have finished your first year at Hogwarts?" Lilly answered with a question. Andrew just laughed.

The headmistress started her speech a moment later, praising students for outstanding achievements – both Dianna and Lillian were mentioned, and then giving the house cup which went to the Hufflepuffs this time, mainly due to their talented Quidditch players. "Let us all toast for the end of a year full of achievements and for a pleasant vacation for you all," the headmistress said, waving her hand and making goblets full of pumpkin juice appear in front of the children. They all took their goblets and stood up, raising their goblets for the toast.

Lilly glanced at Dianna, nodding her head slightly. Nobody noticed the girls holding their wands while everybody was drinking. Once the goblets were put back on the table, a gasp was heard from all students.

The headmistress looked at the hall. Each student's face was sporting the house colors: the Gryffindors had the left of their faces painted gold while the right was red and the other houses were showing their colors as well. On each forehead there was also a flashing message: "I'm Brave", "I'm Smart", "I'm Loyal" and "I'm Cunning" – according to the houses.

The teachers didn't escape the prank. Each sported the colors of all the houses, rotating slowly with the nose serving at the axis and the word "Professor" blinking happily on their foreheads.

Lilly glanced at the head table. She caught the headmistress' eyes and winked at her. She could see a shadow of a smile appearing on the stern face for just a moment, and then the headmistress announced: "Don't panic! I'm sure these colors will be gone by the time you meet your parents tomorrow. Let the feast begin!"

Food appeared on the tables and the children started filling their plates, disregarding their face colors and the flashing messages for a while. These were, though, the main topic of all conversations around the tables during the feast and speculations about the one responsible for the prank continued well into the night.

All faces were clear of the house colors when the students went for breakfast and then hurried to do the last minute packing before boarding the train leading back to London.

Julius managed to find an empty compartment and had Andrew, Dianna and Lilly join him there.

"What do you plan to do during your vacation?" asked Andrew.

"My French family invites us to stay with them during the summer vacation," Dianna informed them.

"Why would they invite me?" Lilly wondered.

"I've been owling them during the school year and I told them about you and about Andrew and Julius. They invited us all to join them during our vacation."

"What about your mother and my parents?"

"I'm not sure. I believe they are also invited, only that invitation would not go by me."

"When are we supposed to visit if we accept the invitation?"

"Starting from the third week of July and up until school starts, if we want to stay that long," affirmed Dianna.

"I'm not sure Mom would like to go abroad with such a tiny baby," Lilly commented.

"Mamman is also becoming heavier each day. I'm not sure she would like to travel either."

"What shall we do then?"

Dianna didn't even think of the answer. "I should certainly go. They love me like their own and it would be quite cruel not to visit them during the summer, at least. I really miss them, you know..."

Lilly seemed to understand. "I'll go with you, even if nobody else will. Do they speak English?"

Dianna shrugged. "Most of them speak English quite well and understand it perfectly. Their accent, though..."

"Oh, I don't mind the accent. Both Fleur and Gabi are from France yet I get along with their accent very well."

"Gabi – is she the one Andrew's brother intends to marry?"

"Yes, she is."

"Wow! She is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!"

Lilly smiled. "You have probably missed her sister, Fleur. She is a few years older and even more beautiful. Mom says it is due to some Veela blood they have."

"Veela?..." Dianna's eyes opened like two saucers. "I thought these were only a legend."

"Not at all! Gabi and Fleur are quarter Veela. Their grandmother is a full-blood Veela, so they told me. Actually – my family has a standing invitation to their parents. We may just visit them when we go to France."

"I've never visited anywhere," confessed Julius. "Dad left us enough to live by comfortably, but Mum didn't think we should waste it on unnecessary traveling."

"I'm sure Dad would invite you both to join us," said Dianna while Lilly nodded approvingly. "Will you come?"

Both Julius and Andrew answered with an enthusiastic "Yes!".

Dianna could hardly wait for the date to come, now that she had much more to look for than just meeting her old family, yet there were some other events to take care of first.

Lilly's birthday was due in a week and Dianna's was due two weeks later, followed by Harry's at the end of July.

Lilly spent the first weeks of the vacation with her family and visiting some old muggle friends. She took Dianna with her, introducing her as her friend from the boarding school she was attending. They were all glad to meet her and Dianna felt really welcome.

They spent most of the time, though, with Andrew and Julius. No amount of time spent together seemed to be enough for any of the four. The girls usually spent some more time talking on the phone with the boys after they went home. Dianna was very happy that the boys were also invited to France.

Both Hermione and Narcissa decided not to make the journey. Using any means of magical or mundane transportation seemed inappropriate for them. Hermione didn't want to take a small baby traveling by Floo or by apparition or Portkey and taking the train or a plane seemed to be too long a voyage for the baby. Narcissa had similar thoughts about traveling in her condition, being quite big with her pregnancy which was making her uncomfortable in a short time, no matter which position she tried to sit.

James and Rose, though, were just too glad to travel. Harry decided to take them by airplane, as the younger Potters had had no chance to use that means of transportation before. They took a train to London, just to experience the modern trains, and then boarded a flight to Paris. This was actually a first for Julius as well, not having a chance to go abroad before.

Mr. and Mme. De-Poitiers were waiting for them at the airport. They both hugged Dianna lovingly and took long looks at her, as if trying to satisfy the year-long longings. They welcomed the rest of the group warmly as well, paying special attention to Lilly and Andrew, before escorting them all to a large limousine which was waiting with its chauffer at the parking lot.

"Will we all fit in?" asked Andrew.

"It's a magical vehicle. Its interior will expand to accommodate as many as needed," Mr. De-Poitiers explained with a smile.

It soon proved to be true. The four Potters, the two boys, Dianna and her adoptive parents fitted all very nicely within while their luggage was stowed into the seemingly normal size luggage compartment at the back.

"Where are we going now?" asked Harry.

"To our chateau near Bordeaux. It is on a hill surrounded by vineyards and orchards. It also has a nice formal garden, a Quidditch pitch and an Olympic size swimming pool. We hope you'll like it there," his host answered.

"It sounds quite nice. I'm sure the kids will like it. Isn't it a long journey though?"

"It is – for muggles. It only takes this car a few minutes. We can adjust it, though, as we like it."

As if to prove him right, the limousine was already approaching the gate in the wall surrounding the chateau. While the word originally meant a castle, a fortress, the building within the wall looked actually like a palace. It wasn't very large – only slightly larger than the Potter Manor – but it was as elegant as they come, styled similarly to the Versailles smaller palace and just as richly decorated. Once inside, it proved to also be a very welcoming place. Despite its elegance it was a warm, inviting place, making one feel at home no matter where he came from.

Dianna just couldn't wait. "Come, see my room," she said, grabbing Lilly's hand and signaling for the boys to follow.

A throat clearing from Mme. De-Poitiers stopped her. "Don't you think it would be politer to first show your guests to their rooms?" she asked Dianna in a tone that didn't leave any doubt about the correct answer.

"Oui, Madame. I believe their rooms are adjacent to mine, aren't they?"

The lady smiled. "Yes, dear. Lilly's is the next room on the same side and the boys' rooms are just on the opposite wall. Your luggage should already be there. Once you are all set in I suggest you change to swimwear and join the rest of the family at the pool"

"Merci. Madame!" Dianna jumped at her and kissed her cheek before grabbing Lilly again and hurrying along the corridor.

"Children…" sighed the lady before turning to the other guests. "Your rooms are on the other side of the stairs, just a few paces away from them. We've also prepared another room for Theodore Lupin, who didn't join you, eventually."

"He promised his grandmother to spend the vacation with her before we got your invitation. She intended taking him to Disneyland, so he didn't even consider breaking his promise."

"Oh, I was thinking of taking the children to Euro-Disneyland near Paris. Should we change our plan?"

"No. I'm sure they'll love it. I know I will."

"Well, we shall all join them, of course. Although not using magic, that place looks more magical than almost everywhere else."

Harry joined them for most of their visit there, yet he didn't stay the whole time. He used to return home two or three times a week to spend some time with Hermione, Narcissa and Herbert. He just couldn't stand being separated from Hermione for more than a day or two.

The children had no such problem. They fully enjoyed their vacation, getting to know the French family and also learning to speak a bit French. By the end of August they were all well tanned and fully relaxed and eager to start a new term.


	20. Chapter 20: Father

**A/N: **The usual disclaimer apply.

Sorry for this chapter being relatively short, but it didn't go well with what comes next as a single chapter.

**Ch20: Father**

The children were greeted with hugs and kisses when they returned home. Both mothers seemed overjoyed to have their children back, yet the girls were anxious to see Herbert first. Even James followed them to the baby's room, trying to hide his own anxiety. Nobody seemed to notice that Narcissa seemed somewhat preoccupied.

It was hours later, after tucking the smaller children in bed, when Narcissa invited Dianna and Lillian to join the adults in the sitting room. "There's something I'd like you to know and I don't want to have to tell it more than once."

Narcissa sat on the couch besides Harry, with Hermione sitting on the other side, while the girls moved two chairs to sit close to their mothers. Narcissa was holding a small book in her hands, looking pensively at it.

"Astoria visited yesterday," she said, addressing nobody in particular. "She told me they were renovating the room which used to be Lucius' study and happened to find a secret drawer, containing various documentation of his 'entertainment' activities. He documented many acts of torture and murder as well as rape of young men and boys."

She was silent for a moment, as if trying to phrase her thoughts. "He didn't seem to be interested in women or girls, though..."

Dianna was bewildered. She already knew about her father's "fun" activities. This didn't seem to draw any different picture of the man.

"Why are you telling me?"

Narcissa sighed. "There is one incident here that may be very important to you..."

She recollected her thoughts before continuing. "You see, he had documented here the night you had been conceived, but he was not the one who took part in it."

She was now attracting the attention of all present. Narcissa sighed and opened the book to a marked page. "This diary contains the details of that night. Let me read it loudly for you."

Dianna moved to sit closer to her mother. Lilly moved closer as well, holding Dianna's hand for comfort.

"Here it goes: I told Narcissa I was going out with the gang. She didn't like it but it didn't bother me. I could do anything as long as I didn't abuse her physically – that was written in our marriage contract. I met with Avery and Yaxley at a local pub in the village, where many youngsters used to come. These were the main reason we chose that pub. There was only one group of youngsters present that night as it was extremely cold for November. We knew we couldn't all have our fun. Too many unexplained events would call the attention of the aurors and some of them could not be silenced by money. It was best if we only used one at a time. I chose a blond boy about sixteen. He seemed strong enough to give us prolonged fun and his bum seemed quite nice for some additional fun.

It went quite smoothly. Avery imperiused him as soon as he separated from his friend. We let him lead us to his family where we used body-bind curses on his parents and his two sisters. I put a compulsion charm on him which made him rape the three females and then Yaxley made him cut their throats. Yaxley killed the father with an ax, though. I then wanted to take the boy to our dungeons, but the rest wanted to celebrate with some real drinks, not the muggle imitations. I made the boy swallow some polijuice potion to look like me and sent him with one of my portkeys after stunning him. I poured some whiskey on him as well. Even if Narcissa saw him, she would think I came home drunk and keep her distance.

I came home before the potion expired and found him sound asleep on the floor with his pants down. His bum looked quite enticing. I moved him to the dungeons and tied him in position, but I wanted to check on Narcissa before continuing. I found her reading a book in her apartment. She looked curiously at me. 'Got appetite for another one?' she asked. It took me a moment to understand: that boy, looking like me, raped her as well. I couldn't show her I knew. I just sneered at her and left.

At first I thought I would kill that boy after finishing with him, but knowing what he had done changed my plans. I only oblivated his visit at the manor from his mind before leaving him with the bodies of his family.

I visited the village the next day. That boy was found hanging from the ceiling with a note confessing to murder his family in a moment of madness. He wrote he could not live with the knowledge of what he did so he killed himself as well."

Narcissa lifted her eyes from the diary to meet the equally teary eyes of Dianna. "I'm so sorry, darling!"

Dianna swallowed her tears. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad that monster is not my father. I only wish I knew who my father was."

Mother and daughter hugged tightly and Lillian hugged them both. They stayed that way for a few minutes.

"I believe we can find information about that family," commented Harry.

"I'll help as well," said Hermione.

Dianna smiled at them sadly.

"Can you tell me some more about that night?" she asked her mother after a long silence.

"There's not much to tell. Being polyjuiced, he looked like Lucius and I didn't even look at his clothes as they were stinking from alcohol. I found him lying on the floor, barely conscious. I came closer to see if he needed help and then he grabbed my hand and made me lie on the floor, where he took me. I understand now that it was the compulsion charm, but I'm glad I got you as a result."

They hugged once more. Hermione then took their hands and led them to their bedrooms. Lillian followed, giving Dianna another hug before they went to sleep in their own beds.

They went shopping for the coming term in the morning. After buying the books, parchments, quills and the other stuff for class they went to Madam Melkin's. Both girls had grown out of their old robes and needed new ones. Harry was glad that they had already updated their underwear for their more feminine bodies during their French vacation. He didn't think he could really help them with that.

"We also need to visit Gringotts," Harry told the girls. A goblin appeared before them as soon as they walked into the bank. "May I be of any help to you, Lord Potter-Black?" he asked.

"Yes, please. I was wondering if you could run the ancestry test for Dianna, my stepdaughter. She has recently found some new facts and she would like to verify them."

"We can do it. Please follow me."

They followed the goblin to an ornate room in the section normally closed to the general public. Another goblin welcomed them as cordially as a goblin can and then procured a large parchment and a small knife. "You should pierce your thumb and let a drop of blood fall onto the parchment. That's all."

Dianna did as advised. The empty parchment soon filled with lines and names, drawing her full ancestry as far back as there was room on the parchment. Most of it was of no interest to the girl, yet she looked wide eyed at her father's name: Nathan Armstrong. He died a few weeks after his sixteenth birthday, about nine months before Dianna was born.

She looked higher at the tree, reverently tracing the names of her ancestors with the tips of her fingers. "May I take this with me?" she asked.

"You are welcome to take it," replied the Goblin.

"I don't think you should show it to others, though," Harry told her. "You're better off letting people think you are a Malfoy or DePoitiers although Black would be just fine."

Dianna didn't like the implication although she knew Harry was mostly concerned with her well-being. "I wish I could state I'm Dianna Armstrong," she said.

"There may come a time for this, but not in the near future," Harry told her consolingly.

Once back home, both girls sat in Lillian's room and tried to find as much information about Dianna's newly discovered family using the Internet.

"You know, I was wondering why you are such a powerful witch when none of your parents is. As far as I know there are only two ways you can be so powerful: either you have at least one muggle parent or both your parents are extremely powerful. Now we know."

* * *

**Please Review!**


	21. Chapter 21: Start of Term

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long to update this story. I reached a point where I wasn't sure how to proceed. Let's hope it will be smoother down the road.

**September 2006**

_**Ch21: Start of Term**_

As much as Dianna wanted to check her ancestry, there was little that could be done before the end of the vacation. Both Harry and Hermione promised to continue the search for her and owl any new information they found.

Start of term had only one surprise. "All students will have to attend a monthly tour in muggle environment," the headmistress announced after the feast. "The tours will be conducted in small groups, normally by house and year. Anybody who fails to attend his designated tour will have to join another as soon as possible."

"Why should muggleborns need these tours?" somebody asked.

"They need it to see how little their pureblood classmates understand muggle society and to help them get acquainted with it."

Some didn't seem too happy. A few looked quite terrified by the idea, yet Lilly and her friends just loved it. "I told the headmistress last year that it was a good idea. I wonder why it took her so long to adopt it."

The "muggle days", as these expeditions turned to be named, were the main topic around the morning breakfast tables for several more days. Lilly was telling her friends excitedly of a TV show she had loved as a small child when a loud snort was heard from a near table. "Only mudbloods and blood-traitors like that Potter girl could love these muggle monstrosities."

Lilly turned around, ready to hex whoever said it, but Dianna put a hand on her shoulder and silently communicated "We shall handle them later."

Lilly only noted the members of the offending group before turning back. They were all fifth year girls: three Slytherins and two Ravenclaws.

Once they finished their meal, both Lilly and Dianna turned to that table and smiled sweetly, wishing the older girls "a fabulous day". They didn't get any response.

None of those girls seemed to attend lunch or dinner that day. They could only be seen the next morning, looking tired and disheveled as if they didn't sleep all night. Soon after sitting for breakfast they all got large red spots on their cheeks, their lips turned brilliant red and their hair turned yellow, making them look like dolls. Even their robes changed into frilly dresses of the kind associated with dolls for small girls.

The five screamed in alarm as they saw the changes, attracting the attention of the whole school before running out. Dianna smirked at Lilly, who nodded approvingly.

"Now, what can you tell me about those girls?" asked Lilly.

"I've not been present, so most of this is what I've heard. They seemed to feel uneasy soon after the second period. They felt like rushing to the toilet, but the feeling disappeared as soon as they reached there and reappeared a few minutes after they returned. This went on throughout the day and night. Then they had the humiliation at breakfast which capped it all and they can't even blame anyone."

Lilly giggled. "Oh, that's awful, having to run to the loo every few minutes..."

* * *

Their parents didn't have a quiet night either. Shortly after midnight, Narcissa was awakened by a sharp pain which she eventually recognizes as a precursor for delivery. She tried not to wake her husband and his wife, but half an hour later, when another pain grabbed her, she couldn't stop her groan on time. Both awakened and started caring for her.

The pains were still wide apart and there was no sign that anything was going to happen soon. At sunrise they were still dozing, awaiting the next bout of pain while two female elves were also monitoring the trio.

Then, two hours later, it suddenly became hectic. Narcissa's water broke and her labor pains came much closer; she was clearly in no state to be transported to St. Mungos. Hermione shifted immediately into he "healer mode", taking control of the situation and commanding Harry and the elves, making sure to give Narcissa the best environment for the delivery.

The contractions came one ofter the other, with no discernible gaps. Narcissa was in such a great pain that she couldn't' even hear Hermione's instructions of "Push now!" or "Don't push!" Harry felt that he needed to help. He had not used his enhanced magic since Hermione had released it from its bonds. Now seemed the time to put these powers into test.

He helped Narcissa into a semi-seated position and slipped behind her, supporting her torso, caressing her face and whispering encouragements in her ear. At the same time, he urged his magic to help his wife. He felt as if his body was merging with hers, giving her more energy. When she needed to push, he pushed for her, and when it was time to relax he made sure her muscles, along with his, were relaxing.

With his help, birth continued at high speed. A few minutes after he joined, the baby's head was crowning, and soon after he fully emerged from the birth canal. Hermione took the newborn, cleaned him and checked his vital signs before smiling at the two on the bed. "He's perfectly healthy," she said, as the baby was exercising his vocal cords.

Harry helped Narcissa push a few more times to get rid of the afterbirth before they both collapsed of exhaustion. The elves, under Hermione's strict inspection, separated them. Harry only needed some rest, but the new mother also needed some medical treatment. Hermione did all that could be done at home, stabilizing her as much as she could, before calling St. Mungos to transfer both parents and the baby.

Both Dianna and Lilly were surprised when Kreacher popped in during lunch. He addressed Dianna first: "Mistress Dianna, your mother has just given birth to a healthy baby boy and she would be delighted if you came to see her and your new brother."

Both girls screamed with excitement and rushed to the head table. McGonnagal seemed to be ready for them.

"You may leave at once to visit your mother. I expect you back by Monday morning and you should catch up with your homework by next Friday."

"Thank you, professor" they both chanted as one before they rushed out of the hall and disappeared. Kreacher popped out as well, while the headmistress was still shaking her head and murmuring "Girls!"

Harry was already sitting at Narcissa's side, waiting for her to finish nursing the baby, when the girls rushed into the room. "He's so cute!" chanted Lilly, while Dianna was more concerned about her mother. "How do you feel?" she asked her, after kissing her cheek.

"As expected... Sore, tired and happy. It was almost brutal, but Hermione, being the wonderful healer she is, helped us tremendously. Once we came here, they only needed to give me some potions and let me rest."

"What do you mean by 'once we came here'? I thought you gave birth here!"

"That was the plan, but your brother didn't seem to be aware of it. Delivery was just too fast to come here. He was born at home."

Dianna looked at her new brother and smiled tenderly. "What shall we call him?"

Narcissa looked at Harry, who nodded slightly. "Sirius," she said softly.

Harry was still surprised when Draco and Astoria came to visit, although he knew he shouldn't be. Yet Draco surprised him even more when he congratulated Harry and added: "Let's hope that Sirius will be as brave as his father and as good looking as his namesake." Despite the fast ameliorating relations between Draco and the Potters, such warm congratulations were unexpected.

* * *

The first of the "muggle days" was fun. Once again, it was actually Lilly's idea. "We should ease the pureblood children into muggle life in a way that would make it enjoyable. I think a visit at a theme park may be fun, or even just a visit to a shopping mall and the cinema."

It was the latter idea that was adapted, mainly due to cost considerations, and it proved to be an immediate success. All girls, no matter blood status, enjoyed the shopping, especially since the could bring as much money as their families allowed in addition to the pocket money given by the school. Each ended buying a modest muggle wardrobe, and most of the boys did so as well. The boys had found more interest in the electronic games shops, though. The most difficult task for the accompanying adults was to pry these youngsters away from their games when the time was up.

Dianna overheard some of the fifth-year girls talk. "They were showing each other the clothes they had bought. One of them was ecstatic about her new push-up bra, while another was very satisfied that she found a minimizer one which could hold her ample boobs. None of the magical shops has anything close to these."

Lilly smirked. "The older girls in my house were comparing their new thongs and their bikini swimsuits. They were wondering what their parents might say if they saw them wearing these."

"We were taken to a documentary film about the beginning of the space era. My classmates were fascinated about landing on the moon and exploring distant planets. It made them painfully aware of how little they knew of anything outside the magical world. I heard a few asking Madam Pince to add some science books to the library."

"Our class was taken to a Startrek movie. They found it hard to believe that it was all 'make believe' and that there was no magic involved in creating the film or in showing it."

Both girls were satisfied. Change was coming to the magical world, even though in a slower pace than they would have liked.

* * *

_**Please Review!**_


	22. Chapter 22: Slytherin Friend

_**Ch22: Slytherin Friend**_

Lilly and her friends were surprised when a Slytherin approached them – a second year boy. Lilly looked at him suspiciously but could sense no malice.

"Hi, I'm Robert Armstrong. Do you mind if I join you?"

Lilly looked at Dianna before replying. "You're welcome to sit with us, Mr. Armstrong."

"You can call me Bob, that's how my friends call me."

Lilly seemed surprised, but shrugged it away. "Well Bob, I'm Lilly and..."

"Oh, I know who you all are. I wouldn't be a Slytherin if I didn't check everything thoroughly before acting," the boy said with a smile.

"So – why do you want to join us?" asked Andrew.

"Well... First – I'm a muggleborn. This makes me not very popular in my house." The others nodded understandingly.

"Then, I just wanted to congratulate you on a well done prank, the first day in school." This time he could only see blank stares. He smiled at the group again. "Nobody else could prank those girls so hard without leaving any trace, just like last year's feast."

"What do you mean?" Dianna didn't like his accusations, especially since they were spot on.

Bob leaned back and smiled once more, as if content he was getting the expected responses. "I'm not as powerful as you two are, but I have a certain ability most wizards lack: I can see auras." If he expected a gasp or disbelief he was due for a surprise.

"What can you tell me about my aura?" Andrew asked him.

Bob hid his surprise at the unexpected reaction, but not before Lillian noticed it. "Your aura has changed a lot during last year. It was quite dull to start with, showing only medium power and no special abilities. It started changing during the winter. Now you have a much stronger aura. It's light blue with many color bands, indicating you are more powerful than most and you have many talents."

He noted Lilly nodding. "Can you also see auras?"

"She can, and so can I," Dianna answered.

Bob seemed surprised for a moment, and then he smiled again. "I should have expected it, considering you have the brightest and widest auras I've ever seen."

Lilly was unfazed. "I still don't understand why you wanted to join us."

"Well, as a Slytherin I should recognize power and seek to be in good terms with those who yield it," he answered, yet his smile indicated that it was not the real reason, "And then – I've found out we may just be related."

"How?" was all Lilly managed to say. She thought she already knew all her relatives. Discovering new ones was quite a surprise.

"My great-great-grandmother was an Evans, which makes us distant cousins."

"Why should we believe you?" Lilly asked. While the question was harsh, her tone was friendly. She didn't want to scare him off, she only wanted to understand.

"You don't have to, but I can offer you to check your ancestry using the Goblins' method." He paused for a moment, recalling the facts, before continuing.

"You see, I was first fascinated when I found you had such a bright aura. I then heard your name at the sorting, but I didn't know anything about my ancestry or yours at the time. I then found out about Harry Potter and I made the connection to you. Being the only muggleborn in Slytherin left me with no friends, so I had a lot of time to research. I was fascinated by the Harry Potter tales and tried to find everything about him. I found the family tree and discovered that his mother was Evans. I vaguely remembered this name from my father's tales. I spent most of our summer vacation researching my family and I was still unsure."

Bob paused and took a small bundle out of his pocket. "When at Gringotts, I asked the Goblins if they had any way to find one's ancestry. They were almost offended and I had to apologize and explain that I was muggleborn. They helped me find my ancestry. It wasn't anything special, except for that name 'Evans' appearing in the list. I then asked to buy such a kit. I was sure you won't be satisfied with just me telling this story. I ended up buying several kits. This is one of them." He pointed at the bundle on the table.

"Will you do the test for us?" Lilly asked.

He looked nervously around. "Yes, but I'd rather do it in a more private place."

"Fine! We'll do it after lunch. Now, what can you tell me about those girls?" Lilly said, pointing at another table, where the group of girls was sitting, not quite so proud anymore.

He smirked. "These are the most haughty girls in Slytherin. Even most of the purebloods find them unbearable. I've heard that they felt uneasy during the morning after they met you, like having to rush to the toilet all the time, but with nothing for real. This went on all through the day and the night. Then the humiliation at next morning breakfast was probably also part of this."

Dianna giggled. "Oh, that's awful, having to run to the loo the whole day..."

They ate breakfast together and then separated for their classes. Bob rejoined the group at lunch and then walked with them to an empty classroom. He took the test kit and opened it on a table. The kit only contained a folded piece of parchment and a small stone. He also took a small folding knife from his pocket.

"This is quite simple, really. In order to find one's ancestry, one only needs to put a drop of blood on the marked corner of the parchment. The stone is then used to heal the cut," Bob explained and proceeded to make a small cut in his finger, smear some of the blood on the parchment and heal the cut with the stone. By the time the cut was healed, the parchment showed a detailed family-tree.

Lillian followed the lines until she found "Evans" written as the maiden name of the ancestor.

"May I do the same?" she asked.

"Be my guest," he said, taking another kit from his pocket.

They could soon see the Potter family tree, as well as several generations of Evans and Granger. There could be no doubt about Bob and Lilly being related.

"Don't you like to do the test as well?" he asked Dianna. "I have another kit here,if you want."

Dianna just shook her head and Lilly knew the reason.

The boys were still examining the two parchments. Julius noted some names on the Potter tree of which he had heard in History lessons, people who advanced the wizarding folk and made just laws. The tree only went back about ten generations before running out of parchment, though.

Dianna also examined Bob's ancestry. It didn't take her long to find a side-branch which was wiped the year before she was born. It was too much like the story in Malfoy's diary to be just a coincidence. When nobody was looking, she waved her hand over the parchment, creating an exact copy which she hurriedly hid in her robes. She was very glad that Lilly had taught her the trick.

It took her a few days to come to terms with what she had found. She was not sure what to do about the new information or even if it was advisable to do anything at all. She would have to speak with her mother alone sometime, she thought.

Bob proved himself a nice person and a good friend. He easily befriended Brenda Weasley. He didn't appreciate her wisdom very much, but the girl was clearly friendly and unprejudiced, which was a welcome change comparing to the Slytherins. She was also very interested in muggle ways of life and besides, she was also quite pretty.

He also had another welcome benefit from befriending Lilly and Dianna – doing homework with them gave him a serious boost in his grades. He convinced Brenda to join the group as well, which turned beneficial in more ways than one. Brenda seemed to become more interested in her studies, now that she could really get good grades and she seemed to enjoys Bob's company even without her other friends, just as he was enjoying her company.

Neither Lilly nor Dianna told their parents about their new friend. They considered raising two babies at once burden enough and didn't want to add any other for awhile.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	23. Chapter 23: Revival

**A/N: **This chapter was ready for a long time, but I had to wait until I built the story to a point before posting it. I hope you will like it.

* * *

**Ch23: Revival**

Neville seemed very sad during Herbology. Lilly noticed also that he looked distracted. She was sure that it was not a reaction to something at school, yet she couldn't even guess what caused his mood. She noticed Neville talk with Minerva during lunch and then leaving promptly. As soon as Neville left the hall, Lilly approached the headmistress.

"I'm worried about Nev... Professor Longbottom."

"Why are you worried about him?"

"Well, I've known him as my parents' friend of for most of my life and I've never seen him so sad and distracted."

Minerva smiled sadly. "I appreciate your concern and I'm sure he would appreciate it as well, but unfortunately there's nothing we can do for him right now."

"Can you tell me a bit more?"

Minerva walked with her to her office. "Do you know anything about Neville's parents?" she asked the girl.

"He never really mentioned them. I know they were friends with my grandparents, so they must be about the same age as Lady Black. I've heard they have been staying at the hospital for many years, but I don't know why."

Minerva sighed deeply. "I'm not sure if I should tell you..." She thought for a moment. "Well, you already know most of it, so it may be alright to tell you the rest..." She thought some more. "After the Dark Lord was defeated by Harry when he was still a baby, some of the Death Eaters believed he was just captured and held in some hidden prison. Neville's parents used to be aurors and were friends with your grandparents. Some Death Eaters managed to attack them and then tortured them, trying to make them tell where the Dark Lord was kept. By the time the torture was relieved, they already lost their mind. None of the healers could restore their mind. They have been staying at the hospital ever since."

Lilly was appalled at the story. "I hope those monsters were caught and punished!"

"They were, although some managed to do some more evil deeds when the Dark Lord returned. None of them escaped justice eventually," Minerva told her.

"But nobody was able to help the victims," Lilly noted bitterly. She kept thinking for a moment. "Maybe I can help them?"

Minerva seemed utterly surprised. "You? How can you help?"

"You know I healed Andrew without ever learning how to do it. I may just try helping them as well..." She suddenly seemed to recall her original concern. "You haven't told me why Neville is suddenly so upset."

The headmistress sighed again. "He visited his parents during the weekend, only to find out that they are now refusing to eat. They never ate too much since arriving at the hospital, but now they refuse to eat anything. The healers are still able to feed them by sending liquid food directly into their stomachs, yet this is not something that should be carried for more than a few days. Neville is now worried that they may soon die."

"Then I must try to help! Please tell him I need to see him. Please…!"

Minerva sighed, looking fondly at the young girl. "I'll tell him, but do keep your hopes low. There's very little chance you can do anything about it."

"I know... I may have to ask for Dianna's help, though."

"Why?"

"We seem to enhance each-other's abilities when we work together and I may need her support."

Neville was surprised to hear about Lilly's request, yet he talked with Lilly soon after Dinner. "I want to visit your parents and see if I can do anything to help them," she told him.

Neville didn't need much persuasion. He was already desperate and willing to try anything to save his parents. He wasn't too surprised when Lilly grabbed his hands and apparated them both to St. Mungos. He stopped at the door to the ward.

"The people living here are severely injured mentally. It may be quite difficult to watch them. Get out if you feel overwhelmed. This is not something I'd like a child your age to see."

Lilly smiled reassuringly at Neville, held his hand and walked in. Neville led her to his parents. They were sitting on their beds facing each other, yet their eyes looked unfocused. They didn't even seem to notice the visitors.

Lilly took a chair and sat between the beds. She then grabbed their hands, the ones closest to her, and held them in her hands, closing her eyes. Neville looked at her, not really knowing what to expect. He saw Lilly's expression becoming somber and then her complexion paling to almost white, before she let go of his parents' hands and opened her eyes.

"So much pain," she whispered, "and so much cruelty… Nobody should be subjected to such!" Neville noticed some moisture in her eyes, yet her face looked determined. "I'll need Dianna's help at this," she told him, "and I must also contemplate the best way to help them."

"Are you sure you can help them?"

Lilly sighed as if she was much older. "I wish I could be sure." She was silent for a moment, apparently thinking about it. "There is a barrier in their minds. It is like each of them is hiding behind an immense wall as a way to escape suffering. They only glimpse through that wall once in a while and they apparently don't find a cause to step out. I could demolish that wall, only it would be no good. The shock of becoming exposed may turn them completely catatonic and forever lost to the world. I want to try something else. I want to cover their minds with love and acceptance so that they would finally want to step forward and come back to the world. It must be done with them both, so I can use one's love for the other and also because if one of them returns only to find the other in the current situation it could be quite harmful as well."

"Where did you learn all that?" Neville wondered.

"I just looked through Mom's books whenever I had a chance. It looks like the muggles have much better understanding of human mind than any of the magical healers."

It was difficult for Neville to grasp the wealth of knowledge this girl had. While most of it was just theoretical, coming from reading books and from nothing else, her mind was finding new ways to use that knowledge. He couldn't help but hope that whatever she decided to do would help his parents as nothing else seemed to help them any longer.

"Shall we go back now?" Lilly suggested.

"I'd like to stay with them a bit more. Can you return to the same spot that we left from?"

"Sure!" she said.

Before he could even respond she was no longer there. He looked at the space she had occupied a moment before and his mind was reeling. He had been told of her tremendous powers, yet she apparated as easily as she was breathing!

They returned the next evening along with Dianna. "Can you make them lie in bed? I'd like them to relax or even fall asleep before we attempt anything."

"I'll ask the healers."

Neville brought two healers who cast a sleeping spell on the couple and then helped them into their beds. Lilly moved her hand and the two beds moved closer. Lilly stood between the beds, holding hands with her patients, while Dianna stood behind her, just holding her waist in a tight embrace.

The girls closed their eyes. Lilly started humming some soothing melody while her face showed concentration. A few minutes passed with nothing happening. Neville was already considering stopping the girls, when Lilly started glowing. It was only a tiny glow from her face at first, but it soon moved to her hands as well and then the sleeping adults started glowing as well. The two girls and the two adults seemed to be immersed in shimmering waves of blue and yellow, yet nothing seemed to change. The glow soon diminished until it disappeared. Nothing seemed to change about his parents, only the girls looked exhausted. Neville helped them sit down and then made the healers bring some tea to help them recover. The healers ran some of their tests to assure the girls were fine and checked to make sure their patients were not worse than before.

"They will sleep until tomorrow morning, at least," Lilly said, after drinking most of her tea. "They will be hungry and will need a lot of food for a few days, while their minds get restored, hopefully."

Dianna was already dozing on her seat. "I'm sorry I can't take you back. I'm too exhausted for side-along apparition," said Lilly. She then made Dianna wake up enough to apparate back to Hogwarts.

Neville was missing from school for the next couple of days. When he finally arrived he went directly to Lilly and Dianna. "You've brought my parents back to me," he told them with tears in his eyes.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Lilly asked.

"They slept almost until noon of the next day, as you expected. When they woke up they looked quite confused, not really understanding where they were and why they were there. They didn't recognize me, of course, but they asked if I could ask the elves to make them a larger breakfast. The healers then served them a large breakfast in a separate dining room. They didn't really want to talk with anybody. They only held each other's hands and talked with each other almost silently. By dinner they became more aware of their surroundings. They soon found out they were in St. Mungo's and they remembered staying there for a long time. Then Mom started talking about her baby and of how much he must have grown by now."

Neville eyes were shining moist as he was talking. "I was no longer able to stand aside. I walked to them and told them that they have been staying at the hospital for many years and that their baby is a man by now. I then introduced myself."

Lilly looked worried. "Were you sure it wasn't too early to do that?"

"I wasn't sure at all. Mom looked at first as if stunned and I was starting to berate myself for acting foolishly, but then she smiled at me and looked at my father. 'I really thought he looked a lot like you, only you don't have any brother,' she told my Dad. Then she hugged me and started sobbing for all the years of my growing up that she had missed. Dad joined the hug. We spent half the night just talking, until the healers told them they should sleep in order to recuperate if they wanted to finally go home. Granny joined me the next day at about noon. She was so excited that the healers had to give her a calming potion. She will continue visiting them each day until they are both physically and mentally back to normal, which should only take a few more days, according to the healers."

He was looking at Lilly with unashamed admiration. "The healers would also like to meet you again and learn what you did and how you did it, hoping this method can be used for others as well. My Granny will also like to thank you, and my parents want to as well. Both you and Dianna acted in the most unselfish way and practically saved my parents."

"You are my family's friend and I consider you my friend as well, and so does Dianna. We just wanted to help our friend…" Lilly shrugged the compliment.

Neville, though, had a different opinion. "I don't know how I can ever thank you enough. I do know one thing, though: from now on you are both distinguished honorary members of the Longbottom family."

* * *

**Please Review!**


	24. Chapter 24: Halloween

**October 2006 **

_**Ch 24: Halloween**_

"Do you plan any prank for Halloween?" Bob asked the girls anxiously.

"I haven't really thought of it," Lilly confessed, "but I'm open to any creative ideas," she added with a smirk.

"It should probably be something about pumpkins," the boy said. "Maybe a giant made out of pumpkins..."

The face both girls made indicated that they didn't like the idea.

"...or... you could give the teachers pumpkin-heads, or..."

Lilly seemed to like this idea. "Why give it only to the teachers, though?"

"You mean..." he wasn't sure what to ask.

"Oh, I think it will be very nice. Thank you for the idea!"

Lilly hugged him tightly for a moment and then ran happily to her next lesson, leaving the confused Bob behind.

The subject came up in later conversations several times, but Lilly quickly navigated to other subjects, not giving Bob any clue to her plans. Dianna was no better in that aspect.

It was Halloween eve already. The Great Hall was festive with the traditional decorations. The students were already sitting at the tables and the Headmistress rose at the head table to say a few words for the occasion, when a disturbance was noticed near the high windows, close to the ceiling.

Three large owls flew in, hooting loudly as they tried to balance a large pumpkin between them. They flew somewhat erratically to and fro until one of them screeched as it lost his hold on the pumpkin. The other two were unable to hold it and let go. The pumpkin fell noisily on the floor, between the head table and the students' tables, breaking up on the impact and spluttering its juices all over.

It took a moment for the headmistress, who was covered with smashed pumpkin juice, to recover and clean herself with her wand, followed by the other professors. It took the students a bit longer until they were all clean and able to look at each other. Something was definitely different. All their heads were changed to look like pumpkins, the hair looking like strands of that vegetable's fibers and the necks looking like its stems. The teachers were in the same condition, yet the headmistress, after overcoming her initial surprise, resumed her position and knocked on her cup with her spoon a few times, to gain the students' attention.

"As you can all see, somebody had invested a lot of effort to make this evening memorable. Whoever these may be, we should all thank them for a well played prank. I only hope this will revert to normal as soon as the holiday is over, just like last year's goodbye feast."

This made all older students cheer. Bob looked at his friends who seemed just as cheerful as the other students, yet some rapid highlights racing through the girls' auras were signs enough for him to know that they were the perpetrators of this prank.

It turned to be the main conversation topic for the next day as well, as nobody could ignore the "pumpkin look" of their fellow students. By dinner time, people's hair started returning to normal and they were all looking as usual the next morning.

It was Friday evening, when Lilly and Dianna were visiting Minerva's private quarters, that the latter asked: "How did you manage to enchant that pumpkin? Did you use runes?"

Diann replied. "We've not started learning runes yet and we're not confident enough to use them, although we've started reading the appropriate books."

Lilly took over. "We just set the pumpkin as an amulet, charging it with the appropriate charms and powering them with our own magic."

"And how did you make the owls cooperate?"

Lily smirked. "That was really easy. I changed into an owl and explained it to them the way they could understand. They actually enjoyed cooperating with the prank."

"I must congratulate you on this. It was extremely well played, and there was no way to trace it back to you. Even the magical signature found on the remains of that pumpkin was not yours. It was actually that of the Minister of Magic. How did you do it?"

The girls looked at each other and giggled a bit before answering. "The minister is a good friend with Dad. We sampled his signature last time he visited and told him what we may need it for. He laughed heartily and agreed to let us use it for any prank we wanted."

* * *

_**Madam Pomfrei lecture**_

The cooling weather had sent many students to their beds and also affected a few of the teachers. Despite having some patients recovering from various weather caused illnesses, Madam Pomfrei volunteered to give some health related lectures, replacing the charms professor who was still ill.

This time she was lecturing to second-year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. She started by identifying the different aspects of the weather which could affect health and then she told her audience how to protect themselves from these elements and how to stay healthy.

Eventually she reached other subjects.

"You may not be aware of this, but each one of you has gone through a procedure to measure his or her magical powers. The results are a number in the range of zero to one hundred, represented on a logarithmic scale."

"What is a logarithmic scale?"

"This means that an increase of ten units on the scale is ten times more power, so it can represent a very wide range of magical powers. It is similar to our senses: our eyes and our ears also work on a logarithmic scale so that they can cover a wide range. Had it been linear then you would have seen most of the world as either blindingly white or deep black with very little in-between."

She paused to formulate her next topic. "Magic works in a similar way. We consider the ambient magic as base level, as zero. Every living being has a bit of magic, because life is magic in its own right. Microbes have a level of one, insects may reach up to three and mammals, including non-magical human beings, go up to ten. Magical beings go much higher, as you may expect.

To be considered magical you must pass the twenty mark. Anything below that and you are considered a squib. Most of you were measured in the range of twenty two to thirty when you first came here. You are expected to raise your power by five to ten points by the time you graduate, putting you in the adult wizard range of twenty-five to forty."

"Can anyone reach one hundred?"

"Probably not. That level is considered Godly, yet our instruments can't really measure anything above seventy or eighty. We assume Merlin was about eighty. Dumbledore was probably almost seventy – nobody really knows, and the dark lord was sixty-eight."

"How powerful was Harry Potter, then?" somebody asked.

"We are not allowed to disclose the power measurements of any living person. It is magically enforced."

"Can't you even tell us if he was about the same level?"

"Well, he wasn't. I believe he was much less powerful, which only makes his victory more astounding."

There was a moment of silence before somebody else asked: "Are all students below the thirty level?"

"No, only most students. There usually are exceptions. Some firsties have been measured at forty or above. A select few even passed the fifty mark."

Dianna and Lillian exchanged furtive glances. They didn't know their exact power level, but they were sure they were among the "select few".

Another student had a question: "Is there any difference between pure-bloods and half-bloods or muggle-born?"

Madam Pomfrei looked at him with a sad smile. He was the descendent of a high-profile pure-blood family, one which had kept the beliefs of pure-blood supremacy, although it had never accepted the more sinister approach of some, staying firmly on the light side. "There's no sharp distinction. Individuals may have power in the full range, whatever their origins. Yet there's the statistics as well. I find it that each year, the pure-bloods are faring lower than fist or second generation wizards and witches. Statistically, they are about twenty-four in average, while the rest average close to thirty. Even considering the top ones, I've never seen any pure-blood student above thirty, but I've seen quite a lot of others rated well above that."

He didn't seem to like the response.

Lilly was surprised when Brenda raised her hand. "I can tell that none in my family is very powerful, being at least six generations of magicals, while my friend Andrew, who is muggle-born is much more powerful."

This seemed to start many conversations among the students. Luckily, the bell sounded mere seconds later, saving the matron from trying to quiet her class.

* * *

_**Please Review!**_


	25. Chapter 25: Out of the Veil

**December 2006 **

_**Ch25: Out of the Veil**_

Christmas vacation came just in time. Both Dianna and Lilly were anxious to spend some time with their baby brothers as well as with the rest of the family. Their "unofficial" visits during weekends were just too short and they were not willing to attract undue attention to their abilities by making their absences from school too evident.

Both girls were going through a growing sprout. "My robes are too short already," Lilly complained, "and I need another bra as well."

"I seem to wear my shoes out going up and down all those stairs," Dianna said.

Harry was not the kind of father to let these complaints go unnoticed. "I'll take you shopping. I have no plans for tomorrow and I can just as well spend it with you two."

He wasn't surprised when they both hugged him warmly. "Thank you, Dad," they said in unison.

As they were getting ready the next morning, the fire flared and a female voice asked to speak urgently with Lord Potter-Black. A few minutes later, a very ashen faced Harry joined the girls. "I'm sorry, dears, but there is an emergency meeting of the wizengamot and my presence is required. We need to postpone our shopping to another time."

"How long is that meeting going to take?" Lilly asked.

"An hour. Maybe two, but one can never know in advance."

"Can we come to the ministry with you?" Dianna asked. "I've never been in there," she added, looking imploringly at Harry.

"Oh, well. If you promise to behave then you can join me. We'll go shopping as soon as it's over."

Once they reached the ministry, Harry was informed that the minister was held and the meeting would only start an hour later. "Can you show us the ministry, please? Especially the places where you and Mom fought Death Eaters," Lilly asked him, using her version of his puppy-eye expression, one he could never resist.

Harry had no problem getting permission to show the girls all the rooms at the Department of Mysteries. They were only warned not to touch anything.

Harry showed them the different rooms: the time-turners room, the brains room, the prophecies hall and the veil room.

They didn't go close to the veil. Harry didn't want to take any chances and kept them no closer than the third row of benches. Lillian chose to sit there for a few moments, gazing at the veil. Harry didn't even notice the pale yellow beam emanating from her forehead towards the veil. It only lasted a few seconds and he was quite distracted by the memories from that room and the veil itself.

Lillian didn't talk about that room until they were home, after spending the afternoon shopping, first in muggle London and then at Diagon Alley. She was quieter than usual, though Harry didn't notice.

It was already after dinner. The younger kids were sent to bed while Lilly and Dianna stayed a bit longer.

"Dad, you haven't told me anything about the battle in the chamber of the veil," she noted.

"It's in the history books. I've already told everything," Harry replied.

"Not really. I've only heard from Neville about the injuries Mum had suffered there and about Uncle Ron's injury. I knew your godfather died there, but even Neville wouldn't tell me how. Will you?"

Harry sighed. This was one of the memories that haunted him the most. He remembered how he had felt seeing Sirius stumble and fall through the veil to never be seen again. "Well, you've seen the veil this morning. I told you it's named 'The Veil of Death' and it was used for executing convicted criminals. They were just pushed through the veil and they vanished forever."

He sighed once more before continuing. "During the battle in the ministry, we eventually arrived to that room and were surrounded by Death-Eaters. We thought everything was lost, when suddenly members of The Order arrived and engaged the Death Eaters. Sirius came with them. He was dueling Belatrix near the veil. They were both experienced duelers and none managed to get the upper hand. Then, while fighting, Sirius stumbled and fell through the veil…" He could say no more.

Lilly thought for a moment before talking. "I don't think he's dead," she said.

Harry was stunned. He would have dismissed her words, had she been anybody else, yet he knew that Lillian wouldn't say this if she didn't have a real reason. "Why do you think so?" he asked.

"I've studied the veil when we visited. I could sense a few people waiting there to be called back. I was unable to identify any, but I'm quite sure he is one of them."

Harry didn't dare hope. It was too fantastic to be true, yet… Could he really dismiss even the slightest chance to see Sirius alive once again?

"Is there any way to bring them back?" he asked with trembling voice.

"There must be. I'm not yet sure, but I believe that one must call them, showing true love and putting a lot of power as well. I'm not sure that's enough, but it's worth a try…"

Harry had no doubt about it. "Can we try it?"

Lillian smiled. "Sure, we can! I think we should take Dianna, Rose and Helen to join us. Along with you, this should give us enough power."

"I don't like taking Rose there. It could be dangerous for such a small child."

Lillian had no doubts about it. "Rose may be young, but she's already about as powerful as I am and she's sure to be much more powerful as she grows up. It may not work if we don't tap some of her power for this."

It took Harry a few more days to make the arrangements. It was quite difficult to get the approval from the DOM, even for The Man Who Conquered, yet he got it eventually when he promised to let the DOM have its people present during the ritual. Everybody was curious about the possible results.

Convincing the three mothers was an even harder job. None of them wanted her child too close to the veil, trying some unknown kind of magic. Both Hermione and Narcissa were quite aware of the dangers such unprecedented ritual may pose while the Grangers didn't think a young child should even know of such things. It took Harry two days to convince Hermione, and then it was much easier to persuade the others.

They arrived early and were promptly escorted to the veil room. Lillian asked Harry to sit on the floor in front of the veil, leaving about ten feet distance. She had Rose and Helen sit at his sides with her and Dianna at both ends, forming a shallow arc in front of the veil.

Lilly took command. "We should now hold hands. Once we start, we should all try to pump as much magic as possible towards Harry, while you, Dad – you should concentrate on pushing your love towards Sirius and calling him to come back. Try to concentrate only on that and remove any other thought from your mind. It may take some time to accomplish, so you must be patient and not lose concentration. Remember – this is for Sirius!"

Harry nodded solemnly and felt two small hands grabbing his, making his spirit rise. He concentrated for a short time, recalling all the happy moments he had spent with Sirius, and then he said quietly "Now!"

Nothing seemed to happen for a while. Harry and the four girls were holding hands and closing their eyes in concentration. Everything was still. A few minutes later, the group started to glow. It was first a faint bluish glow, like an aura close to their bodies. It slowly became wider and stronger until the group seemed to be covered by a light blue haze, making it look like a single being. The glow became brighter and then a wide beam shot from the center towards the veil. Nobody could see its exact origin.

Time seemed to stand still. Nothing moved and only the crackle of the tremendous magical energy used in the chamber could be heard. Then it all happened almost at once. A loud shriek was heard and somebody came flying through the veil, falling face down in front of Harry. The blue haze disappeared, revealing the five exhausted members of the group. People all around were running towards them. Some wanted to help them recover, others to question them and still others to check the person who came out of the veil.

Harry looked at the person in front of him. He couldn't identify the man until somebody turned the fallen man around. Harry could only mumble "Sirius!" before he passed out of exhaustion.

Harry opened his eyes, finding himself in the infirmary at the ministry. He looked frantically around, noticing five more occupied beds. He couldn't see who was in the beds from his position. He tried to sit up.

"Not so fast!" he heard, as a hand pushed him gently back into the bed. "You still need to recover. Drink this…" He was handed a vial with some orange liquid which had a distinct taste, not really covered by the fruity additions, and then a glass of pumpkin juice to wash the taste out.

"Did we get Sirius?" he asked.

* * *

_**Please Review!**_


	26. Chapter 26: Sirius

**Ch26: Sirius**

"Did we get Sirius?" Harry asked.

"You've got him alright."

"Is he OK?"

"He suffered a minor concussion when falling on the floor, but he's fine otherwise."

"How are the girls?"

"They are recovering nicely. They will be fine in less than an hour. You may need some more time, though…"

Harry looked at the healer. He was an elderly kind man, reminding him slightly of Madam Pomfrei. The man was looking at him with a bemused smile.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked, somewhat irritated.

"Sorry. I was just thinking of what your wife will say about this little adventure. I'm not sure I'd like to be present when she finds out how exhausted the children became."

Harry was glad that he had told both Hermione and Narcissa everything about this experiment. They actually wanted to be present, but he insisted they should stay with their babies.

About half an hour later he heard a voice from the adjacent bed. "Pup, is that you?"

It was only the healer's firm hand that stopped him from jumping out of bed. "Yes Sirius, it's me, Harry!"

"Why am I in bed?"

"You fell down and got a minor concussion. You'll be out in no time."

"But the aurors may find me! Fudge will hand me to the dementors!" There was some real panic in his voice.

"You're safe here, Sirius. Nobody is going to harm you."

"Why are you in bed, pup? Have you been hurt during the fight?"

"No, Snuffles. The fight is long over. I was just magically exhausted. I'll tell you later…"

Sirius seemed to want to ask some more, but the healer stepped to his bed and started running a long series of tests. By the time he finished, the girls were already getting out of bed and coming to stay near Harry, looking somewhat suspiciously towards Sirius.

The healer finished his tests and gave Sirius some potions to drink before congratulating him: "Welcome back, Mr. Black. Just wait a few more minutes to let the potions work and you'll be as good as new."

He then turned to Harry, ran a quick diagnostic on him as well and told him: "You may sit now, if you feel strong enough, but take it slowly."

Lilly and Dianna were quick to help him. By the time he reached sitting position, feeling only slightly dizzy, the healer was helping Sirius to sit as well.

Harry gasped. Sirius had not changed a bit during the years since the battle at the DOM. Sirius turned to Harry. His face looked bewildered. "Harry! You look… older! What happened?"

Harry smiled reassuringly at his godfather. "I **am** older. It's a long story, though. I'll tell you later."

Sirius looked around. "I thought I saw Hermione here. These girls look a lot like her, yet none of them is Hermione. Who are they?"

Helen answered first. "Hermione is my big sister!" There was a lot of pride in her voice.

"Sister?" Sirius seemed to be somewhat slow at comprehension.

"Oh, and my name is Helen Granger. I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Black."

Sirius just nodded at the girl, still deep in thought.

"I'm Lillian Potter and this is my little sister Rose. We are very glad to meet you. Dad has told us a lot about you."

"Dad?" Sirius seemed overwhelmed.

The healer thought it was wise to intervene. "It will all become clear later. I believe you are all exhausted and would not oppose to getting a good meal. I allowed myself the liberty to order some lunch to be served here, before you'll have to stand for interrogation."

Harry nodded his approval, while Sirius seemed a bit frightened again. "What interrogation?" he asked.

"Oh, they would probably want to learn everything about what happened since you fell into the veil until you got out. You are the first documented person to come out of the veil."

"Am I?" A slight mischief could be heard in the Marauder's voice. He would never miss a chance to get some attention.

Sirius had many questions, but Harry was not allowed to answer most of them until after the interrogation. Sirius was frustrated, yet the meal was too good to waste. He ate heartily, studying the four girls with his eyes. Then, before leaving the infirmary for the interrogation at the DOM he noted: "You're the only one who didn't introduce herself yet."

"Oh, I'm Dianna De-Poitiers, Lord Potter's stepdaughter."

This only served to make Sirius more bewildered. Harry noticed and only smiled internally. The old Marauder was going to face some very interesting surprises.

The unspeakables decided to interrogate Sirius without the girls' presence. They were afraid some of what he might tell was not appropriate for young ears. The girls were taken to a different room to be asked about the ritual they had taken part in, while Harry escorted Sirius to another room.

A cheerful lady was waiting for the girls. She seemed to be only slightly older than the Potter couple. "Hello, I'm Caroline. I'd like you to tell me all you can about what has just happened in the veil room. May I know whose idea this whole ritual was?"

Lillian answered. "It was my idea. I thought that if we called Sirius with as much love as possible and pumped in enough magic as well, we had a good chance of bringing him back."

"What made you think of it?"

"Dad took us on a tour of the ministry a few days ago. When he showed us the veil, I could sense there were people there. They were waiting – I couldn't find what for. One of them seemed to be Sirius. At least his thoughts were similar to what Dad used to tell about Sirius. I then made Dad tell me exactly what happened during Sirius's last moments at the battle and then I was sure this would be possible."

Caroline wrote everything down in her notebook and then read it again, looking very confused. "You could read his thoughts?"

"Just barely. Not really as clear as I can read yours, or other people's who are near me."

Caroline seemed unsure. Was this girl pulling her leg or was she really such a fabulous witch? She just couldn't decide.

"Oh, she really is a fabulous witch, you bet!" Dianna told her, confusing her a bit more.

"So, you were sure he was there and only needed to be called with enough love and magic. Is that correct?"

"Quite! I wasn't really sure, you know, but it looked like something that could have good chances for success."

"Yet it needed a lot of magic…" noted Caroline.

"Sure! This is why Dad needed the four of us around him. He's a very powerful wizard, you know, but not powerful enough for such a task."

"Wouldn't it have been wiser to get the help of some adult wizards?"

"I would have loved it, but I know no adult wizard even close to our power."

Caroline was sure the girl was just bragging. No way could such a young girl be really powerful! "Do you mind if I measure you magical core? It won't hurt you at all, I promise."

Lilly just shrugged. Caroline left the room for a short while, returning with an instrument that looked like a large metal loop connected to a smaller one, where numbers could be seen flicking. She asked Lillian to stand straight and moved the loop over her head, down to her feet and back again, watching the numbers flick. She could not believe her eyes: the instrument simply overloaded as soon as it came close to the girl. She tried measuring Helen with similar results.

"It looks like this instrument is broken. Please wait a moment and I'll bring another."

Five minutes later she got similar results with the other instrument. She even tried to measure each girl alone in another room. Even Rose, the youngest, caused severe overload. Caroline just wrote down her results, wondering what other surprises these girls had in store.

"Can you tell me some more about the ritual? Did you use any runes?"

The four girls shrugged. "We know very little about runes," explained Dianna. "We've already read some books about them, Lilly and I, but they are of no use without some hands-on experience, which we can't get before we reach fourth year."

"Did you use any spell or charm then?"

"Nothing of the sort," responded Lilly. "We only tried to let our magic flow towards Dad along with our love, so that he would have all the power and the love he may need while letting his magic call Sirius back."

Caroline was sure she would have a big headache soon. Were these girl even close to normal?

"Don't worry," Rose told her. "We still like to gossip and to play pranks on other children. We also like nice clothes and I really like playing with my dolls." This didn't help Caroline feel any better, especially when she noted that Lillian, being somewhat bored, conjured a vase and some flowers and was changing their colors at random, not even using a wand.

She finally gave up. "Well, girls – let's go get some ice-cream. I only need to leave a message for your Dad so he can find us when he finishes his business here."

The four yelled happily, just like any other girls, before starting talking about their favorite flavors.

Harry and Sirius had only slightly more interesting time in another room.

"Well, Mr. Black, would you be kind enough to tell us about the time since you fell through the veil until you stumbled back, just a few hours ago?"

"There's not much to tell. Once I fell through the veil I found myself in a kind of waiting room. It was all white and my clothes also turned white. The room had no doors and no windows, yet it was airy and well lit. There were four people in there, looking as confused as I felt. I tried to talk with them and found out they were just a few minutes there, or so they thought. One of them had reached that room about fifty years ago, yet he was sure he didn't spend there more than a few hours. The others had been there for even less. I asked them what we were waiting for and if anybody had previously left that room. They said two people had stayed there before and then they just disappeared. I found out that none of the men was convicted. They all just fell through by mistake. One was a janitor; another was the executioner who fell down along with the convicted criminal. He didn't see him once he reached the room, though."

"So, how long had you been there?"

"It felt like no more than an hour or two. I'm sure it was much longer for you, but I don't know how long."

"Yes, much longer. Can you tell us what made you come back?"

"I'm not sure, really. I first felt a kind of scan, as if somebody was searching for me, though the magical signature was nothing like I previously knew. Then, a short while later I felt a strong pull, as if somebody was holding my hands lovingly but firmly, and before I knew what was happening I was falling on the floor."

"Lord Potter, can you tell us some more about the ritual you have conducted to get Mr. Black back?"

Harry wasn't sure what to say. "There wasn't really any ritual. I just sat there, holding hands with the younger girls, and I tried to direct all of my love for Sirius to the veil, calling him back, just as Lillian told me. I wasn't even sure it could work, using no spell, no runes, not even a wand. I'm only too glad it did work eventually."

The unspeakable didn't seem to like these responses, yet he felt they were all he could ever get. There was just one thing he thought he should do for the record. "May I measure your magical cores? The results will stay strictly confidential."

Both Harry and Sirius agreed. Sirius was measured first, producing a measurement well above average, though not extraordinarily so. Harry was next and the unspeakable was stunned at the reading. "This is the highest I've ever seen," he mumbled.

"Is there any problem?" asked Harry.

"No, sir. It's just… Well… Your measurement is much higher than the highest one we have on record."

"May I know who it is?" Harry was very interested. He didn't fancy fighting another dark lord.

"It was Dumbledore, only yours is about twenty percent higher, sir." Harry noticed the honorific that the man started using. Well, if he was even just as magically powerful as Dumbledore then he could understand why.

Sirius was still confused, but Harry didn't want to spend any more time explaining. He collected the girls and apparated home at once.

It seemed like somebody had informed Hermione of the success. The entry hall was decorated with banners of "Welcome Padfoot", "Snuffles is home again", "Salute the Marauder" and other welcoming and humorous slogans. Hermione was the first to welcome Sirius with her patented hug, laughing and crying at the same time, before checking over her two girls. By the time she finished, Sirius was looking wide eyed at Narcissa hugging Dianna warmly, before turning to him with a wide smile: "Welcome home, cousin!"

"Narcissa! What are you doing here?" he blurted, hardly believing his eyes.

"Didn't Harry tell you?" she asked, and then added, noticing his bewildered look: "Well, this would be another story you'll be anxious to hear, I'm sure. Suffice to say that I live here."

James and Teddy joined the family as soon as they heard the noise, while the babies were brought along by their mothers a few minutes later. They all settled into the living room after Harry and Hermione made sure to have enough light beverage and some snacks ready.

It was a long afternoon, filled with stories, laughter and also some tears. Sirius was eager to hear about everything that Harry had experienced until then, especially about his marriage to Hermione and about Lillian, whom he had noticed immediately to be somewhat too old for their marriage. Sirius was quite delighted to hear about how Narcissa had joined the family. He was sad to hear about the loss of Moony and Tonks and was deeply moved by Fred's demise. He was then enthralled by the achievements of Lilly and Dianna – pranking "the bad guys" and creating the new Marauder maps.

By dinner time they were all exhausted once again, yet Sirius was feeling great. It was just between dinner courses when he remembered to ask "Where are we, actually. This doesn't look like Potter Manor."

"We're at Godric Hollow. I've renovated the house before we moved in, shortly after we married. Lillian was a great help in redecorating the house, actually."

Sirius became even happier to learn this. The house where Prongs originally intended to raise a family was now the home of his son, housing a large and happy family. It was just right.

* * *

_**Please Review!**_


	27. Chapter 27: Meet the family

**Ch27: Meet the family**

With all the hustle and bustle concerning Sirius, Dianna and Lilly thought it was just right to introduce the family to their old-new family.

They first told Narcissa about their meeting with Bob and about his family tree. Narcissa was touched by the coincidence. "Isn't it a kind of poetical justice that one of the Armstorngs will be a wizard?" she mused. "Are you sure about the details?"

Dianna showed her the family-tree. Bob's great-uncle was the one whose family had been wiped, yet looking closely at the parchment, she could see a line starting from his son and going out of the page. "This is where your name should appear," she told Dianna.

Harry had a more emotional response. "Why have I never checked my whole family tree?" he wondered. He then looked for the Armstrong's phone number and invited them to the Christmas dinner, apologizing for being so late. He didn't speak about the family ties, only about Bob being his daughters' friend.

Christmas dinner was held at Potter Manor, as usual. The Weasleys didn't come this time, preferring to spend the time with their children and grandchildren, but it was still a full hall.

Lilly and Dianna introduced Bob and his parents to Harry and his wives. Bob didn't yet know of his ties with Dianna and she didn't want to mention them before dinner.

Sirius was looking at everything as if he was in a trance. He could still remember that place as it had been during his Hogwarts days, and now it seemed even grander. He was paying close attention to all the ladies, noticing especially those who were unattached.

He frowned a bit when he saw Draco Malfoy in the audience, but he noticed the Malfoys being welcomed warmly by Harry, which relaxed him a bit. Scorpius was also welcomed by the younger Potters, yet there was a mysterious lady with Draco and his wife.

"Who's that lady?" he asked Harry, directing his gaze towards the tall elegant blonde.

"Oh, that's Daphne Greengrass, Astoria's older sister. She used to be in my year at school."

"She is beautiful!" Sirius commented, quite admiringly.

"She was also known at school as 'the ice queen', so don't raise your hopes too high," Harry warned him.

Sirius took that as a challenge. While his seat was reserved with the Potter-Black family, he conspired with the elves to have another empty seat ready near Daphne.

This dinner was much less formal than the previous. Narcissa had already been accepted, mostly, as Harry's wife by both ex-Slytherins and ex-Gryffindors. Both sides found no reason for alarm anymore, and Molly Weasley wasn't present. People moved around between servings and the atmosphere was festive and jovial.

Harry spent some time with Mr. Armstrong, trying to trace their common ancestor. The latter felt quite overwhelmed by the attention given to him by the esteemed Lord Potter.

Sirius set himself on the chair besides Daphne as soon as politeness allowed. Daphne was actually bored. She had lost contact with all her school mates, although most hadn't interested her very much to start with, and Sirius, although uninvited, seemed to provide a bit of entertainment. She didn't even know who he was and didn't really care. She only enjoyed his charming compliments, his free-flowing chat and his jubilant nature. It was only when Harry called Sirius to introduce him to somebody, that she found the curiosity to ask her sister who he was.

"Sirius? He's Harry godfather. He had spent many years in Azkaban due to false accusations, broke out of there during your third year at Hogwarts and then fell through The Veil during the battle at the DOM, only to return about a week ago."

Daphne's curiosity was piqued now. When Sirius returned, she started paying some attention to him and asked a few questions as well. She didn't really expect anything from this man who was a decade older than her, at least, but she found his company quite refreshing.

As soon as Bob finished his desert, Dianna and Lillian took him to another room. Dianna put a folded parchment in front of him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Just look at it," Dianna told him.

He unfolded it and was surprised to see another family tree. He could see Dianna's name at the bottom, with "Narcissa Black-Malfoy" as her mother. He then moved his eyes to her father and gasped of surprise. The name "Nathan Armstrong" was clearly written there. He followed a bit higher and then aside, finding "Robert Armstrong" written near the corner. Following the lines up again he found the familiar "Evans".

Bob seemed to be frozen. His eyes were scanning the parchment continuously up and down, yet nothing else seemed to move.

"You are much closer cousin with me than with Lilly," Dianna finally told him, pulling him out of his trance.

"I... I don't know what to say. I thought I was lucky to have a bit of magic in me. Now I discover I'm related to the two most powerful witches alive. All I can say is... **Wow**!"

They talked a bit more, trying to understand what this newly found relation meant for them, before joining the adults.

It was becoming late. Some of the younger children had already fallen asleep in their chairs or on their parents' laps and the guests were starting to leave. The Malfoys had already left, yet Daphne was laughing at a joke Sirius had just told her. She didn't remember ever enjoying herself so much. She wasn't really surprised when Sirius invited her to continue the evening in his room. For a change, she accepted the invitation.

Harry was talking again with Bob's parents, who seemed much more relaxed now. The three children approached them.

"Dad, we need to talk with you and Mom and with Bob's parents as well," Dianna told Harry.

"Is there a problem?" he asked, beginning to worry.

"No, it's just something that I believe you will all find important."

"Can't you tell me now?"

Dianna looked around. There were still people everywhere; drinking, chatting and enjoying themselves. "We need some privacy for this," she told Harry.

A few minutes later they were all assembled in the living room. Dianna presented her parchment again, making the important parts illuminated with just a flick of her wrist. It only surprised Bob's parents. Narcissa's eyes became teary as she saw her daughter's family ties rebuilt. She hugged Dianna, taking support from her as much as giving, while Harry hugged her from the other side, hugging Lilly with his other hand.

"I believe I should check my ancestry, at last. If I missed you then I may have missed some other living relatives as well," Harry noted.

When they parted, it was only after Harry had invited the Armstrong to join them at the New-Year's ball and promised to get to know them better.

Harry spent most of the time between Christmas and New-year researching his family ties. He could find nothing in the official family tree, as the Potters seemed to only have a single boy each generation, preceded by a single girl only once, nine generations ago – the one who married a Black.

He needed the help of Gringotts ancestry test to check his Evans side of the family. This proved to be almost as frustrating. Aside from his relative who married an Armstrong, there didn't seem to be any girls in the family before his aunt and his mother arrived, and they also had only a single child each generation.

Yet it wasn't a fruitless search. The unofficial family-tree procured by Gringotts had shown him two illegitimate potter offsprings. One was a muggle girl, born from a muggle fan girl of the then famous Stephan Potter, a well known theater actor (aside from being a prominent wizard) a few generations earlier. Unfortunately, she turned nun and had no children.

The other was more surprising, though.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked the goblins.

"There has never been an error with our tests for as far back as we have records. This kind of test has been crucial for many, as some fathers don't like to take responsibility for illegitimate children."

It was a very bewildered Harry that left Gringotts.

"So, what have you found?" Hermione asked him.

"Do you remember the two chasers, those two girls who were in the team since my first year?"

"Yes, Katie and Alicia. What about them?"

"According to the tests, Katie is my half-sister. Her mother had probably spent some time with my Dad just before he fell in love with my mother..."

Hermione said nothing. She just hugged him comfortingly.

"I don't think he even knew about her, or he would have at least mentioned her in his will," Harry added.

"I've seen her mother once," Hermione added. "She needed some minor treatment and then stayed to talk a bit. She did mention that you looked a lot like your father, who was three years younger than her. She didn't say anything else, though."

"What should I do now?" he asked. "I can't just pop at her house and tell her "Hi, sis!"

She smiled. "Invite her here, along with some others who were in the team at that time; ask her about her parents, maybe. I don't think her mother ever married, actually. She was introduced as Miss Bell. I thought I was going to see Katie until she came in."

Harry asked Sirius about the girls his father dated before Lilly.

"Oh, there were many, really. Too many to remember them all, although some lasted a bit longer than others. He even attracted older girls. There were three or four during our fifth-year with whom he was quite intimate. One was Emmanuelle Smithson, a Hufflepuff. Very curvy, blonde and quite daring. Then there was that Ravenclaw whose name I can't recall. She was a brunette, very smart and very cunning. I think she wanted to trap James into marriage, but he didn't fall for her. There was also Miranda Bell. She was gorgeous! All male students lusted for her, but only James managed to get into her knickers, just before she finished Hogwarts. I heard nothing about her ever since."

"She has a daughter," Harry told him. "Katie is two years my senior. She was a magnificent chaser during our school years and she still plays in a semi-professional team, as far as I know."

Sirius paled. "You don't think..."

"She's my half-sister, according to the goblins, but I've only found out today, and she probably doesn't know."

"Then you should invite her here. If she's anything like her mother, then she must be a beauty!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I'll invite the whole Quidditch team to our New-year's Ball," Harry decided, "and then we may see what happens."

* * *

_**Please Review!**_


	28. Chapter 28: Sister

_**Ch28: Sister**_

It was New Year eve. Harry was extremely nervous. He was walking to and fro, unable to sit, unable to even stand still for longer than a few seconds. He had checked his clothing a hundred times at least, making sure everything would look perfect. The fact that he was the only one to be nervous didn't escape him. It only enhanced his nervousness.

"Harry, please calm down. It won't do you any good to be so nervous. It may only make things more difficult," Narcissa told him, not for the first time.

"You already know her, don't you? You've been together in the Quidditch team for most of your Hogwarts years and she was always friendly. She wouldn't suddenly change her attitude, I'm sure," Hermione added.

Harry didn't pay attention to their words. Hermione decided to calm him down differently. "Come!" she told him, grabbing his hand, walking towards the sitting room.

Harry frowned. "What do you want to do here?"

"Just do as I say. You'll eventually thank me."

Hermione sat on the sofa, motioning for Harry to lie down and put his head in her lap. Hermione pressed a kiss onto his forehead and then started massaging it tenderly, letting her hands caress his temples and his face as well. In-between she also added some more kisses. This was not something prescribed in any medicine book, but it seemed to work. Under her expert hands and lips, Harry felt his nerves calm down. He was still anxious about meeting his newly found sibling, but he felt he could now handle it.

Hermione continued for several more minutes, making sure that Harry was as calm as could be, considering the circumstances. She only stopped when Narcissa opened the door. "Most of the guests have already arrived. It's time for the hosts to join them."

The ballroom was crowded, as it had always been at the Potter New Year ball. The three adults weaved their way in the crowd, exchanging pleasantries with their guests, paying some more attention to close friends and just playing their usual role. Harry suddenly stiffened as he saw Katie with the rest of his Quidditch team. Each seemed to have an escort and they all seemed quite happy to meet each other. He swallowed his nervousness and approached them, letting his real happiness at meeting all these people show.

Angelina was the first to notice him. "Hi, Harry!" she engulfed him in a hug and kissed both his cheeks. "Or should I say 'Nice to meet you, Lord Potter'?" she added with a mock courtesy.

"For you, guys, I'll always be plain Harry, and you should know it best," he told Angelina in mock protest. "I'm really glad to see you all here," he told the whole group.

"Hi, pal!" George said, shaking his hand, and then he whispered "We're preparing one of the players for a new team," pointing at Angelina's belly.

Both Ron and Ginny with their mates were present, but they were regular guests anyway. Oliver Wood was there, of course, holding Katie's waist in a way that indicated intimacy. Harry's heart skipped a bit at her sight. She was just as beautiful as he remembered her, but now she was also more confident and looked undoubtedly more feminine than she did when he saw her last.

He chatted a bit more and then addressed the whole group: "I can't spend more time with you now, but please stay after the ball so we can catch-up on things. I can even offer you to stay overnight, if you agree, as we have more than enough room in here."

His words were accepted with cheers and Hermione dragged him subtly onward.

Harry spent some time with his new-found relatives, the Armstrong family, inviting them for a more private visit in a few weeks. With so many guests, it was impossible to spend much time with anybody, yet Harry made sure to dance a few dances with each of his wives, and even shared one dance with Lilly and Dianna. The latter just beamed in delight, feeling that she finally had a father who really cared for her.

It was Midnight soon enough. Harry kissed both his wives as the clock struck midnight, only his kiss with Hermione was a tad longer and just a bit more passionate than the one with Narcissa.

The guests started leaving soon after midnight. It was still a long way home for the muggle guests and even the others seemed to be quite exhausted after spending several hours talking and dancing. Harry made sure the Armstrongs knew how to reach his home before they left, and then he could finally spend some time with his old friends.

The house-elves had already shown them into one of the sitting rooms, where they could all sit leisurely in an atmosphere not much different than the Gryffindor common room. All eyes turned to Harry, as he entered the room, accompanied by his wives. Some looked suspiciously at Narcissa, but most already knew about her. Hermione was greeted as an old friend, of course. Although never being part of the team, she was always close to it, due to Harry, and they all knew her.

Harry was still unsure how to approach Katie and if it was better to do it in private, when Alicia started talking. "I saw you've found some distant relatives and you're trying to get closer to them. Are these the only ones you've found?"

"Well, I wasn't actively looking for any relatives until lately. I was quite sure I had no living relatives, excluding my aunt and her son, but then I happened to find the Armstrong, or rather – my daughters found the connection. This made me start looking for some more relatives," he said.

"Have you found any?" Harry was surprise it was Katie who asked.

He looked her in the eye before answering." Well, I've found one, but I haven't yet been in touch with her."

Katie stepped forward and stood at his side, addressing the rest of the group. "Well, I was also looking for my family. I was raised by my mother and all I knew about my father was that he was a very handsome and very brave man who died fighting Voldemort."

Harry noticed that some still flinched at the name.

"Whenever I tried to find some more, Mom would just say 'Leave the dead in peace,' and refuse to talk about it. Then, a few years ago, I asked the goblins to have me tested for ancestry. I was quite surprised at the results. I could finally understand a bit why Mom still refuses to talk about my father, as I also kept this information secret until now, not wanting to involve anyone who may have not wished to be involved." She turned towards Harry with the last words.

This was clearly a sign for Harry. 'It's your choice what to do next,' it clearly said. Harry didn't hesitate. He grabbed her hand and said, trying to keep his voice steady: "Katie is my closest relative. We have the same father."

It wasn't really how he thought he would face her, but in a way it was even better, as they both acknowledged their relations.

The whole group was boiling with excitement. Nobody expected such an outcome of the team reunion and both people involved seemed to be quite satisfied, so it soon turned into a small celebration.

Only Katie decided to stay for the night. Even Oliver, who'd been her mate for almost two years, thought it would be better to let her build her new ties with Harry without his interference. After showing Katie to her room, Harry retired to the master bedroom where his wives were already waiting.

They all woke up late. Breakfast was waiting for them in the dining room. Harry, Hermione and Narcissa were soon joined by Katie, who was still a bit reluctant about opening up, yet enjoyed being part of a larger family, something she had always missed.

They were all surprised when another young woman, clad only in a large man's shirt, came into the room. It took them a moment to recognize her.

"Daphne! Such a surprise! What are you doing here?"

Daphne scratched her blond head absent-mindedly. "Sirius asked me to stay and he was just too funny to refuse. Now I'm hungry, but he seems to still sleep like a log, so..."

Daphne seemed to feel at home and was not really bothered by her flimsy clothing revealing much more than was considered appropriate. She wasn't even bothered by Dianna and Lilly joining the table a bit later. Harry was astounded. He never expected the "ice queen" to be so relaxed and free in his company.

Katie thought it was a good idea to let her mother join her in "coming together" with Harry. A short floo call later, Miranda Bell joined them. Although she was a few years older than Narcissa, she still looked gorgeous, just as Sirius had told them. Now, that her secret was discovered, she seemed quite willing to talk.

"I've met James Potter at Hogwarts. He was as handsome as Harry, but he was also a kind of Casanova. He flirted with every girl around, even with some Slytherin girls, and he seemed to have found his way into their knickers more often than not. I didn't really consider him, as he was two years younger than me, yet during my seventh year he became simply irresistible. I found myself falling in love with him against my better judgement."

A fond smile lighted her face.

"I managed to keep my distance until I finished my NEWTs, not letting this unhealthy attraction affect my grades, but once the exams were over I had no reason to keep my restraint."

Her face turned younger looking as she reminisced. "It wasn't difficult to catch his eyes and I spent most of the last week at school just shagging him senseless. He had a great stamina and I was insatiable, after waiting so long. None of us expected this relation to become anything more than a passing romance."

She now looked serious again. "We didn't keep in touch after the farewell feast. I intended to prepare for university studies, as my parents wanted me to learn economics and business management, so I could handle their businesses after their retirement. I had no room for pregnancy and children at the time, but my lack of restraint soon showed. I found I was pregnant with Katie. James was still too young to even consider for marriage, and once I didn't see him regularly I also found that I didn't really love him. I had nobody else either, so I decided to keep the child and raise her alone, not telling anybody who the father was."

She stopped, breathing heavily as the memories flooded her. "I knew he then fell in love with Lilly Evans and married her soon after. Then, when their child was just a year old, they were killed by Voldemort. When Katie started questioning about her father, I told her he was dead. That was true and also safe enough to tell a small child. Then as you grew and became famous, I didn't think it was right to confront you with your father's adventures. You had your own life to live, your own family to raise, and I was lucky enough not to need your help in any way, having built my own fortune by managing my businesses alone. I raised Katie to also be self-sufficient and to rely on herself only, so that if she decided to marry anybody it would be of love and not of necessity."

"I really appreciate your position, yet I would have loved to learn about my sister earlier," Harry told her. "Now we have to catch up on all the time we have lost."

Katie was eager to visit the Potters and get more involved in their lives, but refused to come live with them. "Even if I was your full sister, we are both too old to still live in the same house, as you can clearly see even at the Weasleys. Each of us should live independently, yet I will visit as often as I can and I intend to invite you to my house as well, just as siblings should do."

Harry was content. With the new relatives, with Sirius and with his own family he seemed to have found some peace at last. He now intended to deepen his relations and enjoy his family and friends.

* * *

**A.N.** _I know theages don't really correspond. If you do the math right, then Katie should be about four years older than Harry, but I just didn't want to invent a new character, so..._


	29. Chapter 29: Research

**AN: Updated due to review pointing to a potential problem.**

* * *

**January****2007**

_**Ch29: Research**_

A few days after returning from the holidays, Lilly was asked to come to the headmistress's office after dinner. While visiting that office was quite routine for Lilly, being officially invited wasn't. She approached the door with some mixed feelings, yet Minerva smiled warmly at her as she opened the door. "Miss Potter, there's somebody here who would like to talk to you, if you don't mind."

There was a man sitting in the room. He was quite old, with a grandfatherly face and eyes that looked at her warmly. Even before scanning his mind, Lilly felt that he was trustworthy.

"Miss Potter, I'm Albert Newton, from the department of Mysteries at the ministry. I'd like to talk with you about the ritual you've set in the Veil room a few days before Christmas, if you can spare the time."

Lilly smiled. She had already known that the initial interrogation would only whet the curiosity of the unspeakables. It was quite understandable, as there was very little information she could supply at the time. There wasn't much more now, but Lilly thought that she might have gained some more understanding in retrospect.

Minerva understood immediately. She nodded briefly and left the room.

The man also took her smile as agreement, so he pushed on. "Do you know how powerful you are?"

"I don't know the numbers associated with it, but I know that I'm more powerful than any of the adults I've ever met."

"How do you know that?"

"I can see magical auras. They give very good indication of the abilities of the person. Yours, for example, shows above average power, along with great thirst for knowledge and understanding. I'm sure your position is very high at the ministry, and you were quite probably sorted to Ravenclaw when you went to Hogwarts."

He didn't look surprised much. "Well, I'm the chief investigator in the department, second only to the head of the department, which is a mainly clerical job, and I was in Ravenclaw at my time."

Lilly smiled triumphantly. She didn't like bragging, but she liked being right.

The man sighed. "As you've already found out, you are more powerful than any wizard or witch we have ever measured. Not even Albus Dumbledore could overload our measurement device, yet you and the other three girls seemed to be well beyond the measurement capacity of that instrument. Do you mind if I use a different way to measure it? This is actually the way your healer checks every student. It is not as accurate for normal witches and wizards, yet it covers a larger range."

Lilly noticed that some of the portraits hung on the wall stopped pretending to be sleeping. Dumbledore's portrait was actually leaning forward, as if trying to get out of his frame for a better view. It actually amused her.

"I don't mind. Just don't tell anybody of this. Most of the students and the teachers don't know about it and I'd rather keep it this way. I don't want anybody starting speculating."

"I'm under a secrecy vow. Anything I find in the course of my work is not to be disclosed unless specifically permitted by the relevant person. However, I believe I should do something about the portraits."

He waved his wand at the portraits, covering each with a thick black curtain. Another wave of his wand created a privacy shield around them, preventing sounds from reaching the portraits as well. Lilly knew her privacy shield could do both tasks much better, but said nothing.

Once satisfied with the secrecy requirements, he turned back to Lilly. "Normally, this spell only shows the results to the caster, but I'll use a variant which will let you see the measurements yourself."

He then chanted a long spell with some very intricate wand movements, finishing by drawing a kind of oval frame around her. The air seemed to thicken in front of her, turning into a kind of flat surface on which she could see dots moving to and fro until they merged to form a number.

"Unbelievable!" the man said enthusiastically. "I would have never believed it if anybody would have told me. Eighty five – that's more than ten times as powerful as Dumbledore and even higher than what Merlin is believed to have been!"

It took him a moment to calm down and think of his next question.

"Are the other girls as powerful as you?"

Lilly wasn't sure about the way she should answer. She knew Helen was about the same, and Dianna was a bit less powerful – probably about eighty on the scale, yet Rose... Should she tell the man that Rose was already as powerful, or even more, despite being much younger, or should she just say nothing? It was a kind of dilemma which she wasn't prepared to handle yet.

"We are all about the same," she finally said, not really sure if it was the best answer.

Mr. Newton seemed to do some mental calculations, reaching some improbable numbers. When he talked again he sounded very reluctant. He seemed to think out loud more than talk to anybody.

"So, it seems that the four of you have more power than the rest of the magical population put together... I'm not sure anybody can reproduce the results that you have. I'm not even sure if it's safe to leave you be unsupervised..."

Lilly had no doubt where this train of thought may go. She could also sense his thoughts clearly. She knew he had good intentions, but the results of those intentions might have been unwelcome for her. Now her other abilities, not yet known to the man, came handy. She quickly made him forget a bit and only remember she was well above average, but not as hight as his results had shown.

"You mean I'm about the same level as Dad, just a bit higher?" she asked innocently. "Seventy six is really high!" she added.

He seemed to wake up from a daydream. "Well, yes dear. It is really an extraordinary event finding someone so powerful. I hope you'll always use your powers wisely and beneficially."

"Of course! I'm a Potter, am I not?" She said the last sentence as if it was the best explanation, and in a way – it was. The Potters had always supported the light, always cared for the unprivileged and always fought for justice and equal rights – she had already read all she could find about her ancestry and she knew Mr. Newton was also aware of that family history.

"Sure, Miss Potter. I don't doubt it. Now, I'm also aware of another act you've been part of, namely – the healing of the Longbottom couple. Can you tell me anything about that?"

Lilly was more careful now. While seemingly trying to recall the event, she contemplated what would be safe to tell and what she should keep to herself. "Well, I've seen Professor Longbottom very sad. He is a good friend with Dad and I also feel close to him, so I was worried seeing him that sad. I then asked and found out that he was worried about his parents. They had stopped eating and he was afraid he was going to lose them. I asked to visit them at the hospital with him."

Mr. Newton seemed delighted by her concern for others.

"I wasn't sure I could help them, but I felt that letting them feel loved and wanted would do a great deal in bringing them back to normal life. That is basically what we did. I needed my sister for feeling enough love and support, and I beamed it all towards them, flooding them with all the love I could. Eventually, it seemed to have the wanted effect, but I believe some more research needs to be done in ways to help trauma victims of all kinds." She was glad this didn't sound like some powerful magic but more like a sentimental experiment.

"Sure. Your success seems to highlight some flaws in the way such patients are treated. I'm not sure that the healers were glad to have their shortcomings exposed," he said with a smile, "but this really highlights a new direction for trauma patients treatment and I'll make sure it will be researched."

"Oh, that's wonderful! I like helping people!" She didn't need to fake it this time.

"Now, back to the veil, if you don't mind. Do you know if one could use runes or amulets to achieve the results that you did using just raw magic?"

Lilly had already thought about it before. "I believe it can be done. I don't know the details, but according to what I've read there are runes that can enhance and direct feelings as well as magical powers. Using such runes may enable you to rescue the other people behind the veil. You'll need somebody who knew the person you call, in order to be an anchor for the calling, and several powerful wizards and witches to support the magic, but I'm sure it can be done."

Mr. Newton seemed satisfied with her answer. They discussed it some more and Lilly was careful about mentioning her power again. She just emphasized the need for directing and magnifying runes, which would give even a regular wizard enough power to be used for this ritual, "and maybe the anchor should also use a wand. I believe it would have been less exhausting if Dad was holding his wand at the time, only we didn't think about it then."

Soon enough she was done. "Will you be so kind as to ask Miss DePoitiers to come here for a similar investigation?" Mr. Newton asked her.

She had no problem finding Dianna. She used their mental link and started telling her of the events even before reaching her, at the library, so that Dianna would know how to reply and act without causing undue alarms.

Dianna returned an hour later, smiling widely. "It was so easy to make him see only seventy three instead of eighty three! He's really a nice man, though. I promised we shall help his investigation during our vacation, if our parents allow. He really liked my 'good girl' pose."

They both giggled.

"I think we should instruct Rose and Helen as well, so that he won't see them as too powerful," Lillian said. She then turned very serious. "I'm afraid that our great powers may mean that there will come a time when they will be in great need. Some of the old books say that magic works this way, keeping the balance in the world. There may be some very dark forces lurking in our future, or maybe just immense catastrophes, when every bit of magic would be needed to help the victims. Whichever it is, I'm not happy to face it. I don't think I'm as brave as Dad, who faced Voldemort almost every year since he was eleven..." She thought a bit more. "...but I'm surely not going to chicken out when my help will be needed. Would you help me?"

Dianna held her hand up, as if swearing. "I'll always help you. We are friends and stepsisters and now we also found we are related by blood, if only slightly. I have all the reasons to support you, just as I'm sure you will always help me if I need."

"I sure will," Lilly answered, just as solemnly.

They apparated home soon after dinner, directly into Rose's room, where they told her about their meetings that afternoon and instructed her on how to act.

"Are you sure you can baffle him?" Dianna asked.

Rose smiled. Her childish face didn't seem so innocent for a moment. "I've already done it a few times when Dad saw me doing some stuff. I didn't want him to know I'm able to do some things."

"Like what?" asked Dianna.

Rose's smiled turned predatory. "I would have to make you forget if I tell you..."

Her sisters didn't like this answer. "You weren't doing anything dark, were you?"

The girl sighed. "No, not really. You see, Mom doesn't let me fly on a real broom. I've already mastered all that can be done on the training broom she reluctantly allows me to ride, but she wouldn't even let me beg for a real broom. Dad doesn't really mind, though. Whenever we have a chance, Dad lets me ride his broom and teaches me new tricks. He then asks me to remove the memory from his mind, so that he won't lie to Mom."

"Are you really good on the broom?"

"Dad says I'm better than he was at age twelve, I really hope to join the Quidditch team when I go to Hogwarts." The little girl thought a bit. "Why aren't you on the team?"

Lilly shrugged. "They have a very good seeker, and I really like flying more than playing. I may apply for the seeker position next year, though, as the current seeker is in his last year."

Helen was actually expecting them. "My parents got an owl asking them to let that wizard talk with me about the ritual. I was sure you'll be asked before and come and tell me all about it."

Helen was much more aware of the importance of keeping her abilities as secret as possible, especially since she was living in muggle society, yet she was also more experienced at using her magic. "I have to meddle with people's minds every once in a while, when I perform some accidental magic. This is usually some glowing when I get excited or angry, although I've noticed some undercover wizards assuring everybody present forgets the event when it was really big."

"How big?" Dianna asked.

"Well, we were celebrating the birthday of one girl who's fighting cancer. I was so excited for her that the whole class started to glow, as I tried to help her heal. A few minutes later, these wizards came. They told me to be more careful."

"And that girl?"

"She's still under observation, but there's no sign of her illness since." Helen seemed quite satisfied.

Lilly hugged her. "I'm really proud of you. I trust you'll be a great witch when you're older."

They returned to Hogwarts before curfew. Nobody even noticed they were gone.

* * *

_**Please Review!**_


	30. Chapter 30: Mr Black

**February 2007**

_**Ch.30: Mr. Black**_

"I'd like to give you back your Lord Black title," Harry told Sirius. "I don't really need it, as my other titles are quite enough."

"You can't," Sirius stated simply.

Seeing Harry's puzzled expression, Sirius added, "Once you get your title you can't give it back. You can only pass it on to the next generation."

"But... I shouldn't have gotten it as you are clearly alive now," Harry protested.

"I wasn't alive when you inherited it, and that's what counts. You can give me anything you want, but not the Lord Black title." Sirius thought for a moment. "I'd actually appreciate it if you give me a house and some money to live on. I don't think I should continue living with your family. I enjoy it very much, but I'd rather be on my own."

He saw Harry starting to protest. "You know I'm not a good influence on young children," he added hastily.

Harry smiled at that. "Don't worry about it. I've been caught more than once in some delicate situations. The children seem to accept these as part of their lives, or ours, actually. Only Hermione is still embarrassed sometimes."

"Not Narcissa?"

"They've never caught me with her. I assume we are not as daring."

"But you and Narcissa are..." Sirius didn't seem to sure about his question.

"Oh, we're having an active sex life, if that's what you wanted to know, but not as active as I have with ..." He stopped as he saw the study's door opening.

"Am I interrupting something?" Daphne asked, as she walked toward Sirius and hugged him. She was wearing her usual morning attire when visiting Sirius, namely – a large T-shirt, reaching to her thighs, and nothing else.

"No, dear," Sirius replied, hugging her quite possessively.

He turned back towards Harry. "You see why I need a house now? I've been thinking a lot since you brought me back. I've been wasting my time since I graduated. Oh, I've become an auror and fought some evil, but my personal life was as irresponsible as it could get. It started feeling stale even before that fateful night, and then I had no real life to talk about up until I fell into the veil. It's about time I start settling down, especially since I've found Daphne and I don't want to lose her."

The glances they were exchanging spoke volumes about how they were feeling towards each other. Sirius held her closer as he continued talking. "As her sister is already married to the head of a family, she is the only one who can keep her family name going, as long as she doesn't marry a head-of-house. Even if you could give me back that position, I wouldn't take it. I want Daphne's children to be Greengrass heirs."

Daphne looked surprised. "I've never thought about it, you know, and we've never talked about it."

"We have better things to do than just talk," Sirius replied with a wink, "but I've had time enough to find all the information when you were spending some time with your sister."

Daphne kissed him lightly. "Have I ever told you how adorable you are?"

"Not in the last five minutes," he replied cheekily.

Daphne just clung to his side as she talked to Harry. "I'd like to thank you for your hospitality. You've never really invited me here, but once I came with Sirius you treated me like one of the family, helping me lose my 'Ice Queen' persona, at least while I'm with you. Both your wives welcomed me although they could just as well see me as a threat."

Harry smiled. "They feel secure in their positions and rightly so. As beautiful and as clever as you are, you're no threat to them. Hermione has been with me since our first year at Hogwarts and I love her more than words can tell. Narcissa offered to help me unconditionally and gained my love and respect despite some problems in our past. I would never betray them."

Daphne smiled. "That would have sounded just too cheesy had anybody else said it, but from you it sounds just right. I hope I'll get similar devotion if I ever marry."

Sirius seemed offended. "I may have gained a certain reputation in the past, but that's not something I want to keep, now that I've found you."

"Is there anything I need to know?" Harry asked.

Sirius didn't look so smug now. "I've been thinking of settling down and... well, Daphne is the only woman I could think about as my mate. I didn't think it would come so fast, but..." He now looked into Daphne's eyes. "Daphne, since I've met you, I can't think of anybody else; I can't even look at any other woman without finding her lacking compared to you. Whenever we are apart I only wish you back at my side."

He took a deep breath and knelt. "Will you agree to marry me, despite my reputation, and then I'll do my best to assure you never regret it. Will you?"

Daphne smiled at him. "I thought you'll never ask. Yes, I will marry you, you impossible mutt."

Sirius was speechless for a moment, with only a large smile pasted over his face. He then rose back on his feet and hugged her firmly. Their kiss was fast turning into a full blown snog, not minding Harry's presence at all. It took them a while to return to reality. Daphne blushed deeply as Sirius apologized.

"I thought I'll first buy a nice ring and assure some privacy before I ask you. I'm glad I didn't delay this, but I still feel I owe you a ring, at least."

"And a bunch of kids," she added. "Shall we start working on that?"

Harry was not left alone for long. As soon as the amorous couple left the study, Narcissa came in.

"I've never seen my cousin so happy, not even since his return. Is there anything you can tell me about it?"

"Daphne has just accepted his proposal and they're going to make as many Greengrass kids as possible."

Narcissa smiled. "Well, that leaves you responsible for the Black children. I trust you not to neglect that responsibility, my dear husband." She was now standing behind his chair and hugging him lightly.

Harry took her hand in his and squeezed it a bit. "Have I ever neglected these duties?" he asked innocently.

"Not really," she said, "but I want to make sure you give me at least one more child. You don't want me to be jealous of Hermione, do you?"

"No, that wouldn't be a good idea," he said, as his free hand roamed under her shirt, caressing her full tits. "We can even practice now," he added. "I don't expect any interruptions for the next hour or two."

Harry was wrong. They had a pleasant rumbling in bed, but before they could regain their breathe they were interrupted by a baby crying. "It sounds like young Mr. Black is eager for a change and a meal," Harry noted, caressing her breasts which were leaking some milk already.

Harry took care of the nappies while Narcissa switched from lover mode into mother mode, and then started feeding young Sirius, who enjoyed fondling her breasts while suckling, just as his namesake was doing in another room with another pair of breasts.

Harry took his godfather on a tour of all the Black houses he now owned. "You may take them all back," he suggested.

"No, it wouldn't be fair to you and your children. You rightfully own them all. I think I'd like to go back to Grimmauld place, though. Despite some bitter memories, it had been my home since I can remember, and with the changes you made there it is really a nice place now. I may re-apply for my old job as an auror, so I can earn enough to keep a family."

"Why won't you take some of the Black possessions? There are a few very productive businesses which can give you more than comfortable living. We have more than enough already and we won't miss them."

"No, I can't take back what you rightfully inherited," Sirius said stubbornly.

Harry tried to think of a different way. "Well, I could use some help with business management and with my political duties. I'll give you the same salary I give my other business managers, if you accept."

"Isn't it a trick to just give me money?" asked Sirius, frowning.

"I would never try to trick a Marauder. Too risky, you know. I'll make you sweat for your money, though. Don't worry."

"Not too much, I hope. I don't want to come home all sweaty and smelly. I don't think Daphne would appreciate it," said Sirius with a mock frown.

Two weeks later, Sirius moved back to Grimmauld place. Daphne joined him a day later.

They married during Easter vacation, when Daphne was already expecting. Sirius Black adopted his wife's family and turned into Sirius Greengrass. Sirius chose Harry as his best man, a position he would have given to James, had he still been alive, while Daphne chose the four girls who helped bring Sirius back as her bridesmaids. Teddy was chosen as the ring bearer, in memory of his father.

It was a simple ceremony, with only close family and a few friends in attendance, and yet Minerva wouldn't be left out. She also attended, wiping quite a few tears during the ceremony and then telling some of the Marauder's mischiefs during the feast.

Lillian was not too impressed by the tales. She could easily outdo them if she wanted, but she didn't have such an urge to prank people as her grandfather and his friends used to have.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	31. Chapter 31: Rituals

**A.N. Sorry for the delay, but this story has become much longer and more elaborate than I ever planned. As a result - it takes me much longer to get the inspiration for any additional chapters.. All said - I still hope you like it.  
**

* * *

**April 2007**

_** Ch31: Rituals**_

It was a day after Daphne and Sirius got married that a ministry official came to visit the Potters. He was immediately recognized ad Mr. Albert Newton – the unspeakable who interrogated them all after Sirius's return. This time he only wanted to talk to Harry and the elder girls.

"We've done some serious research since your ritual brought Mr. Black – now Mr. Greengrass – back among the living. From his testimony and our research we believe to have identified most of those who are still in Limbo – as we believe is the correct name of the place he stayed at during his absence. Two of the people he mentioned have been missing for almost eighty years, which means that all their friends and the relatives who knew them are quite old by now. We feel it is our duty to try and bring them back first," Mr. Newton said.

"Why are you here then? Wouldn't it be better to assemble those friends and relatives?" Lillian asked, not caring that it sounded quite rude. Dianna actually winced at hearing her. It didn't go well with the way she'd been brought up.

Mr. Newton didn't seem to mind, though. "I've already visited them. One of the families is almost squibs. They could probably help direct the magic and add their love and care into it, but they are worthless at creating that magic even with intensifying runes. The other is just too old. I'm not even sure that the old lady could withstand such a ritual without being fatally affected. This is why I thought you three could help us. I wouldn't want to involve any younger children, but you three with the help of some of our most powerful stuff and some runes should be able to generate enough power to make these two return. Will you help us?"

Harry looked thoughtful and none of the girls wanted to answer in his stead. "Who are these two people you want us to help revive?"

"The elder of the two used to serve at the Wizengamot. He was the one who had to attend the execution by veil of a verified murderer who killed several young witches before being caught. That murderer tricked him and made them both fall into the veil. The incident had been witnessed by several other members of the Wizengamot at the time. He was actually Lord Potter at the time, and his early demise made the title go to his much younger brother – your grandfather. His widow still lives, but none of his family is still alive, as you know, and none of his friends that we could trace."

"We shall certainly help with this one," Harry said. "Who is the other?"

"We are not as sure about him, as there were no witnesses at the time. We believe it is a young man who had just started working as a janitor that day. He came from an old family who had lost both their magic and their money. He was last seen going into our department and was never seen again. It stayed a mystery until Mr. Black informed us there was a janitor there with him. The man's parents are still alive, although very old and his sister is barely above squib. None of them could generate any significant amount of magic."

"I believe we should try and help this one as well," Harry said, "Yet we would not be able to do both the same time. We shall need a day, at least, to recuperate from the ritual."

Mr. Newton seemed to be satisfied by the answer. "I believe that with the help of some runes, which we believe would intensify your magic ten folds, and using your wands as well, to direct that magic, it will be much less of a burden than your original ritual, yet we may set the two events two or even three days apart, if you like."

Once they set the dates, the unspeakable left.

"Mom, do you know what kind of runes may be used for this purpose," Lilly asked that evening, after they told Hermione all about the visit.

Hermione had to think a bit. "They don't teach such runes at Hogwarts, but I've heard of them at St. Mungos. I don't have any first-hand experience with them and I'm not sure how effective they are, although there may be many variations with different effectiveness. I really don't know."

One could see how difficult it was for her not to know something.

"Actually, I have some experience with such runes," Narcissa said. "Many old pure-blood families are quite weak magically. They use to carry a stone carved with such runes, usually in their pockets, for men, or in their handbags – for women. Some even tattoo them on their wand arm, although it is not as effective as some stones. Lucius would have been no more than a squib without such a stone." The last sentence held a lot of contempt.

"So, do yo think it could really work for the ritual?" Dianna asked.

"Yes, I believe it could. I trust the unspeakables to use the most efficient rune there is, and I hope you won't be so exhausted afterwards," Narcissa smiled at her daughter.

Once they reached the ministry, they were directed to a room adjacent to the veil room, where an old woman was already sitting. She shakily rose to her feet as she saw Harry. "Lord Potter, it's a great honour to have met you," she said.

"Please sit down, and you may just call me Harry. Who are you, if I may ask?"

"I'm Mrs. Evelyn Potter nee Longbottom. You've probably met my youngest nephew, Frank and his son Neville."

"I've had, but none of them mentioned you."

"Well, Frank was just a baby when I lost my husband and I don't think Neville ever heard of me. His grandma has never seen eye to eye with me, although she is a very good person mostly."

"It's an honour to meet you, milady. May I present my daughters Lillian and Dianna," Harry spoke with reverence. Both girls courtesied, although some of the effect was lost due to them wearing jeans and not dresses.

Mr. Newton entered the room as well. "I'm glad you've already met," he told the group. "We have already positioned ten of our most magically powerful employees in the veil room, as well as the stones with the carved runes which will serve as seats. I'll join you as well. Now, have you told the lady about the ritual?"

Harry shook his head. Mr. Newton started speaking with the old lady. Lilly silently cast a calming spell on her, along with a spell for making her heart stronger. Lilly suspected the old lady may need both.

A few minutes later they all went into the veil room. It didn't change much from the last time they saw it, yet there were several round stones on the floor, looking more like cushions, actually. There also seemed to be a strong shield cast around the veil to keep everybody at a safe distance from the deadly artifact.

Several people were already sitting on the stones, creating a shallow arc facing the veil. The five middle places were still empty. Mr. Newton led the lady to the central seat and asked her to hold her wand and point it at the veil when they start the ritual. He then let Harry and Lilly sit at the lady's sides, followed by Dianna besides Lilly while he sat near Harry.

Lilly took the lead now, talking with the lady. "Please think about your missing husband and about the love you have for him and call him back to you. We shall pump as much magic as we can into your call and hopefully, that will bring him back."

The lady looked at Lilly with a bit of shock. "If it works, he'll be a young man, younger than your father, while I..."

"Once he's back, you'll become just as young as him, I promise."

The old woman looked as Lilly with some new hope. "If you can do that, then you are the greatest witch ever!"

"I'm just a girl who's lucky to have some very good family and friends," Lillian replied.

It only took another minute or two for everybody to concentrate. The Potters could feel the magic flow to and through them as they all held hands and were soon engulfed in that bluish haze. It went much faster this time, and before they even started to exert themselves they saw somebody flying out of the veil, through the shield, and falling on the magically cushioned floor.

They heard the old lady say "James?" before she fainted.

The man straightened himself and looked around, seeming quite bewildered. Harry thought he looked a bit like the old photos of his father, only his hair was lighter – just dark brown and not jet black – and stayed nicely combed. He was not wearing glasses either.

Harry and the girls were the first to rise from their seats and rush to the fainted lady, followed by the man who returned from the veil. The others seemed much too exhausted to be able to move. Harry took command. "Lilly, take the lady to the infirmary. She must be seen by a healer as soon as possible. Dianna, help me revive these men. You," he pointed at the new arrival, "go with Lilly. You may not be hurt but you still need to see a healer."

The man seemed too stunned by everything to even argue. Lilly checked the old lady first. She then asked the man's help to stretch the lady on the floor. Once done, she put a body bind on her, to make sure she would not stir while being levitated to the infirmary. She had not used her wand and didn't utter a sound while doing it, making the man puzzled some more.

An hour later, a very bewildered James Potter, Harry's great uncle, was escorted by a slightly younger looking Mrs. Evelyn Potter. Lilly had cast a spell to make her younger as soon as the healer confirmed she was physically fine, only shocked a bit by the events. The spell was designed to reduce a year from her age every two hours, until she reached the same age she had been when her husband went into the veil. Lilly didn't dare do it any faster for fear of the effect this might have on the lady's mental health.

Harry promised his newly found relatives to come and see them as soon as he deposited the girls at home.

The other participants in the ritual were not as lucky. While none would suffer permanent damage, they were all magically exhausted and needed some invigorating potions and a lot of rest to regain their strength.

The other ritual was postponed a few days, to let the staff recuperate fully.

Harry didn't mind it. Having his great-uncle back among the living was already putting him on the clouds. He visited that same afternoon, noticing that the lady was actually looking younger than that morning. The next day she looked much younger already, and James seemed to fall in love with her again.

It was a rainy morning when they went once again into the veil room. Another old lady was at the center this time. She looked much younger and not too sure of herself. Once again it was Lilly who conducted the ritual.

It didn't go as fast as the previous time. The ministry employees seemed reluctant to put all their power into it, but neither Lilly nor Dianna would accept it. They silently urged the others to put more effort and soon the group was covered in the blue haze. It still took a bit longer before another man came flying through the veil, landing on the cushioned floor in front of the elderly lady.

He stood up almost immediately and looked at the woman in front of him. "Mom?" he asked, seeming quite confused.

Harry didn't have to say anything this time. Lilly grabbed the man's hand and levitated his sister, who fainted as soon as she saw him, taking them both to the healers. She didn't cast any rejuvenation spell on anybody this time. As it would have only created chaos. She knew that a loving family was more than enough to cushion the young man against the seventy years gap in his life.

* * *

_**Please Review!**_


	32. Chapter 32: Summer 2007

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I'm currently tackling some RL problems and am usually unable to clear my mind enough for writing. This seems to be the case for the next few months at least, so please be patient with me.  
**

* * *

**Ch32: Summer 2007**

Harry was extremely busy. Within a few months he had gained not only his godfather back, but also a sister, a great-uncle and some more distant family. That was in addition to his own growing family of two wives, five biological children, an adopted daughter, a godson, and now he was expecting another child from Narcissa. He could hardly find time for them all, and yet he also had his political and social obligations to take care of.

He minimized his appearances at the Wizengamot and the House of Lords, although he didn't like it, and he felt thankful that both Lilly and Dianna were attending Hogwarts, requiring very little of his time during most of the year. He missed the girls badly, but he knew he just couldn't find time for them without neglecting some other duties.

Still he wanted to spend time with Sirius and get to know him better, learning as much as he could about his parents at the same time. This wasn't easy. Sirius had started working as a business manager for Harry and as both had agreed, he wanted to really prove himself on the job. Sirius also wanted to spend as much time as possible with Daphne – his young, expecting wife.

Harry was also spending some time with Katie. Although he had known her since his first year at Hogwarts, their relations had changed dramatically since he discovered she was his half-sister. "I should have asked you to help me more at school," he teased her once.

"You would have not become close friend with Hermione in that case," she teased him back, knowing just how much he loved his wife.

They both visited James Potter, their great uncle who came back through the veil, several times. Hermione and Narcissa joined them once each. James was accommodating into his new life better than could be expected. He was quite young, really, having just celebrated his twenty-ninth birthday a few weeks before falling through the veil. This meant he was still open to new ideas, unlike many older people, especially in magical Britain. James felt much closer to Harry and his wives than to his old friends, who were really old by then

Evelyn, his wife, was enjoying her returning youth. Within less than a week she turned from an old lady into a young and very attractive woman with red-brown hair and a happy twinkle in her eyes. She was clinging lovingly to her husband and one could never guess that this woman had already dwelled on earth for almost nine decades.

"I've spent most of my life living among muggles, so that I'm open to change, unlike my age-mates who only lived among magical folks," she explained. "Once widowed, I didn't want to live on Potter's charity, although your grandfather was willing to give me a life pension. I was content with just some help to buy my own house. I then worked as a primary school teacher for forty years and then turned librarian, a post I still hold. Well, I held until James came back. They won't recognize me now, and I intend to spend my time with my husband and maybe try for a child again, now that we are both young."

Harry didn't want to ask for details, but he thought she implied not having had any success before. He made a mental note to ask Lilly if she could help at this as well.

James seemed bothered, though. "Now, that I have no assets of my own, I don't know what to do for living. I can't live on your charity and not even on the money I was promised by the ministry as repayment for the lost time. I'm too young to just stay idle..."

Harry had an idea. "I believe you could help me with my political obligations. Taking part in both muggle and magical governing bodies is very time consuming. I'd be glad if you could shoulder some of these obligations in my stead and that would earn you a salary. I was also contemplating building a new, modern orphanage for magical children. You could help me with that as well."

"I don't want it to be charity. I can do any work a man my age can do," James told him sternly.

"You can probably do as well as any wizard, but you'll be rubbish in the muggle world. I don't know if you were comfortable in it at the time, but it has changed dramatically since. Lady Evelyn would be able to tell you some more. But anyhow, it's not charity. With seven children at my care, five of them biologically mine, and another one due in a few months, I'm driving myself crazy just to be able to do the minimum for all my obligations. I was looking for somebody I could rely on to help me, and you seem to be better suited for the job than any candidate I've met."

James accepted the offer. Evelyn started introducing him to the current muggle world and Katie volunteered to help him with the changes in the magical one. Harry was glad to see things change for the better.

Harry was just as excited about his relations with the Armstrong. Finding they were both his and Dianna's relatives made them very special for him, The Armstrong, while quite well off, didn't live in a large house and had no servants or helpers. Harry felt reluctant to impose on them and cause additional work in the household. He preferred inviting them to his house, which was a bit larger, or just meeting them for an outing at a restaurant or a café.

Hermione was also enjoying meeting them. Their lifestyle was very similar to that of her parents, as both Armstrong parents worked together in their small engineering firm. Narcissa was also interested, as she had never been very close with the muggle life style and was very curious about it. The Grangers, although muggle, she didn't think of as such due to their two very magical daughters.

The Potters also stayed in contact with the new friends they gained through Lilly, namely the Creevey family and Miss Jones.

Lilly and Dianna were not taking part in most of these occurrences. They both were studying hard at Hogwarts, getting ready for the end-of-year exams.

Lilly didn't feel like doing any major prank for the Farewell Feast, but Bob was expecting her to do something and so were Andrew and Julius. Dianna didn't look interested, though. The decisive factor was eventually her talk with Minerva.

"You know, the first-year students have not had witnessed last year's farewell feast and the magnificent prank. I really hope whoever caused that to do something as magnificent this year as well." Her wink made it clear that she was sure about the person behind that prank.

Lilly was still reluctant. Besides, she didn't really have a good idea worthy of the occasion. It was only during lunch on the last day of school that she got the idea. She consulted with Dianna. "Oh, That would be quite memorable, especially as we've been through quite a hot week!" Dianna said.

That evening, the great hall was full of students, sitting along the four house tables, all excited at going home the next morning. The weather was quite hot despite the late hour. The headmistress summed up the year and wished the students a joyful vacation, before suggesting a toast.

Everybody raised their goblets, and then a cloud seemed to rise from the goblets towards the ceiling, becoming thicker and darker as it rose. A lightning flicked within the cloud, followed by a thunder, and then it started snowing, to the amazement of all present.

The temperature dropped considerably, though it didn't really turn cold. The snow started piling on the tables and on the floor, leaving the people and the food untouched. The snow, although quite thick at some places, couldn't be held. It melted to nothingness as soon as anybody tried to grab it, yet it gave a very special feeling throughout the feast, making it a memorable event.

That prank was also the main conversation topic on the train home. There was nothing to indicate either Lilly or Dianna were involved, yet their friends congratulated them for a well done prank that didn't harm or humiliate anybody. The girls just shrugged it off and would not accept responsibility, especially when near other students.

Dianna was invited once again to spend the summer with the DePoitiers family along with her friends, but the Potters were also invited to spend some time with the DeLaCour family, taking part in Gabrielle's wedding as well.

It was the perfect vacation after such a busy year. Harry could finally relax and enjoy just being in the company of his closest family. Hermione also allowed herself some relaxation. She didn't even take more than ten books with her, most of them just light romances to help her relax, although what she found most relaxing was usually done behind closed doors and with no clothes.

Narcissa was also enjoying herself. She was no longer the stern professor or the snotty lady. She was just a woman enjoying a vacation with her family. She didn't even let her new pregnancy bother her.

* * *

**Please review. I'll also appreciate any ideas for the next chapters.**


	33. Chapter 33: Animagii

**Ch33: Animagii**

It was their first weekend at school. The weather was surprisingly warm. Lilly and her friends walked around the lake and enjoyed the fine weather until lunch. The boys had to finish some homework, due Monday, after lunch, but both Lilly and Dianna had already finished all their tasks, so they went back to the lake.

They reached their favorite secluded spot and sat down.

"You know, I've never seen you change into any of your animal forms," Dianna said.

"I haven't seen you either," Lilly retorted.

Dianna lowered her head. "I've never changed into an animal. I don't even know if I can."

Lilly looked surprised. "I'm sure you can! Judging by your aura you have practically all the talents I have. You're just less daring, that's all!"

"I'm not so sure..."

"Nonsense! You can do it, just as you can apparate and do wandless magic. Now, let's see how we can make you learn it, though..."

Lilly thought for a while and then sighed. "It just came naturally to me, so I really can't remember how I became an animagus, which means that it's very difficult for me to teach you. I wonder if somebody else could, though..."

Her face brightened a moment later. "Of course! Sirius!"

"My baby brother?"

"No, of course not! My dad's godfather, or dogfather, as he likes to say it. He and my grandfather taught themselves to become animagii. He could help you. Let's go!"

Lilly stood up, helping Dianna as well.

"Where do you want to go?" Dianna asked, a bit confused.

"To visit Sirius, where else?"

She grabbed her friend's hand and apparated them to the entrance of the Greengrass Manor, where Sirius and Daphne were now living. A house-elf came immediately and bowed low before asking them for the purpose of their visit.

"Tell Sirius that Lilly and Dianna want to ask him something," Lilly told the elf.

"I'm sorry, but Master Sirius and Mistress Daphne are currently... indisposed," the elf answered reluctantly.

"We shall wait. I'm sure it wouldn't take more than half an hour," Lilly said.

"I'm not sure, Miss. They sometimes go at it for hours..."

"We'll wait," Lilly insisted.

They were led to an elegant sitting room. The elf clicked its fingers, making two glasses and a pitcher of pumpkin juice appear on the small table. "Make yourselves comfortable, as it may be a long wait," the elf said and disappeared.

Lilly looked around. The room was furnished with antique furniture, yet it looked warm and inviting. She saw some picture frames on the wall above the small fireplace. A closer look showed most of the frames to contain pictures of the Potter family, mainly of Harry and the children, with some photos of Astoria and Scorpius. There was also a photo of a large black dog who looked extremely friendly.

"I think that's Sirius, in his animagus form," Lilly said.

"Right you are," came an amused voice from the door. Sirius came in, still tying his dressing robe. "What do I owe the pleasure of your visit to?" he asked.

Dianna started blushing, noticing that Sirius was wearing nothing under the dressing gown, yet Lilly was unfazed. "I remembered you telling us of becoming animagus. I'm sure Dianna can become even a multi-animagus, but she doesn't know how to start and I'm not sure how to teach her."

"You are an animagus?" Sirius seemed surprised.

Lilly turned into a small gazelle instead of answering. Sirius turned immediately into his dog form, which made the gazelle turn into a reddish-brown dog. A moment later they both resumed their human forms.

"Wow!" gasped Dianna. "It's the first time I've seen you change. It's... fantastic!"

"I'm sure you can do it as well," Lilly said.

Sirius just looked at Lilly with awe. The girl seemed to surprise him anew whenever he thought he already knew her well.

"How did you become an animagus?" he asked her at last.

"I don't really remember. I was only four or five at the time. I just remembered I wanted to fly like an owl, and I just did it a moment later."

"You're also... an owl?"

"Or an eagle or a cat or... well, almost anything I can think of, except insects and reptiles. I tried being a fish once, but I didn't like it."

Sirius knelt in front of her. "I'm not worthy to kiss your feet, Milady," he said exaggeratedly.

Lilly laughed. "Then, Milord, will you help Dianna find at least one of her forms?"

"I can try," Sirius said, standing up again and taking a seat at the opposite side of the table.

They spent about two hours there, learning more about the marauders than about becoming animagus. Daphne joined them a bit later, wearing only an big man's T-shirt, just the way they had seen her since she had joined Sirius.

"It's been a very enlightening visit," Lilly finally said, "but we should return to school. Dinner will soon be served and our absence may be noticed."

"You came here from Hogwarts? How did you manage to do it?"

"We just apparated, as we must do now. Bye, uncle Sirius. We shall come again another day." Two soft pops later, Sirius was looking at the empty spots on the couch, wondering if these girls will ever cease to surprise him.

The girls went to the library as soon as they finished dinner.

"So, that potion can help me find my animagus form and set my mindset. We should find the exact recipe for that potion, though," Dianna said.

"We can do it, but I still think you don't really need it. Sirius is quite a powerful wizard, yet not much more than Neville, while you... You should be able to do anything, if you just turn your mind to it and leave your fears behind."

"Maybe you're right, but I feel that the potion would give me the confidence to reach that 'inner animal' Sirius was talking about and embrace it. I'm not as fearless as you, you know."

"Oh, I have fears. Quite a lot, really, but I never let them govern my actions or my thoughts. You should do the same."

"It's easy for you to say," Dianna sighed. "I can only promise to try."

Their search was interrupted by Narcissa giving birth to another boy. Harry was considering to call the child Regulus, after Sirius's brother who had stolen Voldemort's Horocrux, but Sirius wanted to use that name for his and Daphne's child. With Narcissa's consent he decided on Remus, to commemorate is friend and mentor, the marauder who died during the last battle. Hermione was delighted with the idea and bot Dianna and Lillian thought it was a nice name.

It took the girls a long time to find the animagus potion's recipe. They eventually found it in the restricted section. It was almost Christmas by then, so they decided not to brew it until they were back to school.

They were surprised that Sirius brought them a vial of the potion when he came to visit for Christmas, along with Daphne Who was expecting to give Sirius a son in less than three months.

Dianna was quite reluctant to take the potion, but Lilly was anxious for her to advance her animagus talents. Dianna tried it two days after Christmas. It had the effect of putting her in a magical sleep for almost two hours, making Lilly worried. Once she woke up, Dianna didn't say anything about what happened, despite Lilly's insistence. It was more than a week, when they were back to school, before she opened up to talk about it.

"It was like a weird dream, almost a nightmare. It wasn't frightening by the actions in it. I mean – nothing bad was threatening me but I was just overwhelmed by what I saw. It was like using 'fast view' on the video player you've shown me. I saw all kinds of animals. I **was** all kinds of animals. I soared to the sky and plunged into the sea and ran in the jungle and even burrowed into the earth and I was still me, no matter what form I took. It was fascinating and frightening at the same time. It was also very fast. I needed all this time to just understand what I saw. I still don't know what it really means, though. It may take me some time before I come to terms with it."

"It's quite clear to me," Lilly said. "You can choose whatever animal you want to become any moment and be natural in that form as long as you like, just like me. What would you want to try first?"

Dianna smiled. "A bird, of course. An owl or an eagle, probably. Then I'd like to try a cat and a dog. I'd like to try being a dolphin in the summer, when we go to the sea, though."

They made a plan. Despite their likings, they decided to start with small furry animals, as the cold and windy weather wasn't encouraging for any kind of bird. It took Dianna several weeks before she found the courage to transform into a white cat, but once she did, it continued quite smoothly.

By Easter she was already able to become any mammal she wanted. A few weeks later she joined Lilly as an eagle or an owl, soaring high above Hogwarts.

"It's so much fun flying like a bird! It puts to shame broomstick flying," she exclaimed.

"Not really. Brooms can reach speeds which no bird can and they can also be maneuvered in ways most birds can't, but I agree that using your wings is more fun," Lilly said.

"We haven't told our friends yet," Dianna said, sounding a bit reluctant.

"I haven't told them about me either. It's not that important, really and they can't inadvertently tell anything they don't know. If we ever marry them, though, they'll need to know."

"Marry? We're only thirteen! Why should we think of marriage?"

Lilly turned serious. "I don't know. I'm still too young for that, and yet I feel like I'm soon going to be married. It excites me, but it frightens me much more. So what if I'm a powerful witch? I'm just a child. I still want to experience everything other children my age experience. Yet I feel it will not come to be."

"Are you a seer as well?" Dianna sounded concerned.

"I hope not, yet... Well, maybe it's just my period which makes me moody."

"It must be."

* * *

**A.N.:** Sorry for the delay. RL ha been taking its toll on me lately

_**Please Review!**_


	34. Chapter 34: Politics and Family

**A.N.** Sorry for the long delay, but my nuse was wandering elsewhere.**  
**

* * *

**Ch34: Politics and Family**

It was a slow day in The House Of Lords. Harry looked at the planned speakers list. The list consisted of the most boring speakers and each had been allotted two hours. That was more than he could stand. Even the one currently speaking was bound to make him fall asleep. It was worse than having to listen to Professor Binns lecturing about the Goblin Wars.

Sighing, he left the hall, noticing quite a few members nodding, half asleep already. He could use his time better. He quickly moved to the Parliament apparition point. Knowing that the Potter family had a seat in The House Of Lords for as long as it existed was cause enough to have this arranged. He was quite sure that some other wizarding families had once been part of The House. Some may still be eligible, only they lost interest in the Muggle world.

He arrived at the Ministry a moment later. Using his wand, he transformed his suit into robes as he approached the guard.

"Good day, Lord Potter," the guard waved him in. Harry took the elevator and went to the Wizengamot hall.

The session in there looked just a bit more interesting than the one he had left. One of the conservative pure-blood representatives was speaking, practically demanding to keep everything as it was, citing "our long-time tradition" as the reason to oppose any novelty.

Harry thought it was futile to answer. He just took a seat on the audience section, watching the proceedings. He was a bit surprised to see James Potter – his great uncle, who was acting in his stead – rising to speak.

James looked around, noticing the many heads with white hair, or lacking any, before he spoke. "As you probably all know, I'm much older than I look. I've spent seventy-two years in Limbo, where I didn't age at all. Once I was brought back, I was afraid I'd find it very difficult to adjust to all the changes in the world. The Muggle world was totally different, as I expected, as it advanced in most areas beyond my wildest dreams. Unfortunately, the British Magical world didn't change much at all. There were a few new names, of course, but nothing of significance changed. We're still using old-fashioned parchment and quills while the muggles are using paper and pen, that is – when not using computers; we're still wearing these ridiculous robes, which the muggles discarded more than a century ago; we're still acting as if we hold all the knowledge and the power, while the muggles are several orders of magnitude more knowledgeable and much more powerful."

James stopped for a moment to get the right effect. Harry could see that he chose right by letting James do this for him. "Do you know that muggles can fly airplanes that are almost as fast as portkeys, yet much more comfortable? Do you know that muggles have sent people to the moon and back and sent some probes to research other planets, communicating over these unimaginable distances with ease?" James made another pause, to let his words sink in. "Do you still need to find a fireplace, throw some powder in and stay on your knees in order to talk to somebody? Muggles just dial a number on their cellular phone and they can talk with their friends on the other side of the globe as if they were in the same room."

James took a sip of water before going on. "I'm older than most of you, despite looking younger, but I know that progress is good for us. Those afraid of progress and of innovation are just holding us all back, usually for their own personal benefit. I've checked some other countries while visiting them after my return. Most consider us stupid and backward, as we're still stuck with customs and traditions long given up by the rest of the magical world. Oh, they're still using the old traditions in their equivalent of the wizengamot, just like our muggle parliament still has some very ceremonious events, during which most officials wear costumes designed a few hundred years back. Yet they don't wear them for normal activities and neither should we!"

James continued talking, making even the most die-hard conservatives feel a bit unsure, while others seemed ready to vote for a change. The few who spoke after him were reluctant to oppose him, only stating that "we should not forget our past and our traditions while adopting new ways," which was practically saying, "we're going to modernize, but please, don't rush in".

The vote gave Harry no surprise. The conservatives lost. Harry congratulated James for his excellent speech. They went for lunch together. Harry still found it difficult to look at this young man and see him as his ancestor. Luckily, James ( James Potter the Third, as he had been called originally) didn't mind that Harry was born almost fifty years after him. He treated Harry as the slightly older head-of-house, when needed, and as a close friend.

"You know, Evelyn has seen a healer last week, as she didn't feel too well. It turns out she's pregnant! Can you imagine? We've almost lost all hope before I fell through the veil, and she certainly didn't expect this to happen after she'd been a really old lady, and yet... Lilly seems to do what's considered impossible. She's redefining the limits of magic single-handedly."

Harry smiled. "She is very talented and extremely powerful, but so are the other girls."

James didn't agree. "The others may be as powerful as her, but only she could think of rejuvenating Evelyn so that we could catch up from where we left, and doing it in a way that let Evelyn adjust. I'm sure she also helped us with the pregnancy, doing it silently and unobtrusively, as is her habit."

"She takes a lot after her mother," Harry noted.

"And quite a bit after her father as well..."

Narcissa had never learned to enjoy being a house-wife. She had been raised to be a lady, taking care of social events and giving support to her husband. Her only other obligation as a wife, she had been taught, was to give her husband a heir. Taking care of the children and of the household were tasks for the house-elves, so she was told.

The Potter house at Godric Hollow didn't employ house elves. Hermione agreed, quite reluctantly, to let house-elves come once a week for a thorough cleaning, and only because her own schedule didn't leave much time for housekeeping. Narcissa had been a bit confused at first, not knowing most of the things she needed in order to even make breakfast while Harry wasn't available.

This had changed even before Sirius Junior was born, as Harry taught her how to use all kitchen appliances and utensils, how to cook and how to serve. Hermione (and Lilly) taught her how to use the muggle electronic equipment. She loved the music system, as listening to music was something that didn't stop her from doing other stuff, yet she fell in love with the computer. It opened a whole new world of knowledge and fun to her.

Hermione was always busy. Although she had already finished her training as healer at St. Mungos as well as her medical specialization in a muggle hospital nearby, she was trying to juggle working at both these medical institutes along with being a good mother and wife and playing the role of Lady Potter as needed. This was a bit too much even for her. After Harold was born, she decided to slow down a bit. She cut her job at St. Mungos to two day shifts per week and she did the same for her muggle position, trying to spend more time with her family while still keeping her jobs.

Yet Hermione, being herself, could not refrain from helping anybody in need. She agreed to check a few ill children in her study at home, and soon found herself running a private pediatric clinic where parents were sure to find good advice and sympathetic understanding along with quick healing for their children. She used a combination of muggle and magical procedures to help her patients recover faster. None of the muggle patients knew that the medicine given to their child was actually a magical potion or that the ruler she was occasionally holding was a disguised wand. The magical patients thought that the stethoscope and some other medical tools were just a disguise used for muggles and didn't know that some of the potions she was dispensing were muggle medicines.

"You should limit your working hours," Harry told her, not for the first time. "You should spend more time with your own children. Do you want to end up like your parents?"

Hermione loved her parents, yet she remembered just too well how much she had missed them as a child, when they had been too busy building their dentistry career to pay much attention to their daughter. By the time they had been able to spend more time with her, she was already moving to Hogwarts. They were much better parents for Lilly, while she lived with them, and for Helen.

"Am I so bad?" she asked, suddenly unsure of herself.

"You can't be bad, but your children miss you. It's bad enough that we couldn't raise Lilly since the moment she was born. We had very good reasons for that. You don't have any reason to not give your best to your children now, you know."

It was a difficult decision for Hermione, yet she decided to assign only two hours for her private patients on the days when she was working elsewhere and no more than eight hours on two more days, leaving Sundays free. "But I'll still handle emergencies," she said, to Harry's eyes rolling.

With so many people coming and going, Narcissa couldn't be hidden. She presented herself as "A distant cousin who came to live here for a while." This explanation was accepted, but only for a few months. Most magical patients knew her and knew of her real status. It was quite different with the muggles. None would have accepted bigamy, even if there was still an ancient law that allowed it for Harry.

"I don't mind if people will think I'm your mistress," Narcissa told Harry.

"I'm not sure I'd like it," Hermione said.

"Do you have a better idea?" Narcissa asked.

Hermione sighed. "I wish I had. Let's ask my parents first. They are more in current with the muggle world than either of us is."

The Grangers had an advice. "During the Hippie era, many people chose to live in communes, consisting of several men and women, usually young, who lived together. Most dissolved after a while, unable to stand social pressure, but a few still strive. Society is now more accepting of relations that do not sick to the standards. As for being a mistress... It should work. Just make sure not to give unwanted ideas to some young women in the vicinity. Lord Potter is a powerful political figure and a rich man, besides being a very attractive young man. Some may be tempted to offer similar services to Harry."

Hermione shrugged. "I trust Harry to handle them swiftly. I'm just tired of trying to hide Narcissa or make her a distant cousin."

Eventually, they didn't need any excuse. Hermione didn't like all the traffic in the house, especially since some of the children brought to her were ill and she didn't fancy her children catching anything from her patients. She considered renting an office and turning it into a clinic. Harry had a different idea. "We can build an annex with a separate entrance. We can do it magically within a few days, and if you prefer – a month or two should be enough for building it the muggle way."

After kissing him tightly, Hermione thought a bit more about his idea. "I'll lay down my requirements and then we should see an architect for the actual design. We may then decide how to turn the design into a real structure."

They did it the muggle way, eventually, as Hermione wasn't sure that building magically would not leave some tell-tale signs. The construction team was very efficient, finishing its job in just five weeks. It took another week to buy all the necessary furnishings and make the annex ready for its assigned role.

"I need a receptionist now. I can't handle all the record keeping while checking the patients. It slows me down and interferes with my medical function," Hermione said, a week after opening the new clinic.

"You did just fine before," Harry commented.

"Not really. I was frustrated by the interruptions, but as it was at home, the patients, or their parents, were more accepting. A receptionist, to handle my schedule and the monetary side of the business, seems to be a must now."

"Should I put an ad for that?" Harry asked.

"I don't think you need to. I can do it for Hermione." It was Narcissa who surprised them.

"You?" they both asked, disbelievingly.

"Yes, I. Remus is soon going to be weaned. He seems already more interested in other foods and my milk seems to dwindle. I already know how to use a computer and the telephone and I'd really like to do something useful and still stay close to him and Sirius. I've learned to enjoy raising these children."

"I like it," Hermione said. "It will also make the question of your presence irrelevant. Besides, you'll earn some money as well."

"I don't really need it now, but it would be nice to know that my help is worth something," Narcissa smiled.

"And we shall both be able to stay close to our children," Hermione added, as Harry hugged them both.

* * *

**_Please Review!_**


	35. Chapter 35 Summer at the Beach

_July 2008_

**Ch35: Summer at the Beach**

The De-Poitiers had a surprise for their guests that summer. "We've rented a large villa in Cap d'Agde, in the naturist quarter, for the whole summer."

Dianna started blushing, yet the others looked bewildered. "What is it?" Harry asked, not having encountered the idea before.

"It's a nudist area – everybody walks nude there, no need for clothes. Except for hats and sun-lotions, of course."

Hermione started blushing as well, yet Narcissa commented, "I've been there already. It's quite nice, really, and very refreshing."

Dianna looked alarmed at her mother's words and Lilly wasn't sure how she felt. She was quite proud of her womanly body, yet displaying it freely for all the world to see was a new idea for her. It was somewhat frightening and then – quite thrilling. It would also mean that the boys would be unable to hide their reactions to her looks. Hmm... this was worth trying...

Harry was thinking similarly. This would be an occasion to enjoy both his wives' nudity and then some. He was not too old to enjoy looking at young nude women. Being nude himself was a bit unsettling, but not enough to give up the chance.

Hermione knew that any protest would not be welcome. Her conservative middle-class morals had no chance against the enthusiasm she could see in Harry's and Lily's eyes. Well, she had quite a good body, despite her pregnancies, and she would not make Harry ashamed of her!

"When are we going there?" Harry asked.

"My daughter is visiting some friends in Holland and is due back tomorrow evening," Mrs. De-Poitiers told them. "We can wait for her and go there together after she arrives, or just move there and let her joins us."

"Maybe a day or two here would allow me to get some tan; I'd feel out of place otherwise," Hermione noted.

"Well, of course. You don't need any clothes here, you know. We usually stay nude unless we have guests," their hostess replied. "I suggest you refresh a bit in your rooms and then join us nude at the pool."

Hermione and Narcissa were sharing room with Harry, as they usually did at home. Harry enjoyed seeing them undress – this was something he could watch for eternity and still enjoy. They were both marvelous in his eyes. Narcissa, the eldest of the two, was just as fit as Hermione. Harry suspected that magic had something to do with it, as few muggle women her age looked so young. Even younger Hermione, after giving birth to four children looked much better than other mothers of four. Her tummy was flat and her breasts were firm as if she was still a sixteen years old virgin.

"We can use the bathrobes," Narcissa commented, bringing Harry back to reality. The three of them put the bathrobes over their naked bodies and joined their hosts at the pool.

Dianna was still sitting on a chair, clad in her bathrobe, her face burning red, while Lilly, wearing only a headband, was trying to persuade her to join the others. The boys were already in the water, looking bemusedly at the scene.

Harry disrobed and jumped into the pool. Narcissa first cast the sun-protection charm on Hermione and on herself before they both joined the others, Hermione looking somewhat unsure of herself.

"You're both looking lovely," their hostess complimented. "One would think you're your daughters' bigger sisters and not their mothers." Mr. De-Poitiers nodded, as if approving of the compliment.

"Well, thank you," Hermione replied, seeming a bit more confident. "We already have eight children between the two of us."

It was Julius who responded this time. "I've never thought of it, but looking at you now – I can hardly believe you're mothers. My mother and her friends look old compared to you, while you both look as if you've just graduated."

Hermione blushed at the compliment. Having such a young man look at her naked body was somewhat unsettling. She was glad he didn't find her repulsive, though. Narcissa had no such problem. She just flashed a smile at him and said, "Thank you, Mr. Snape."

Dianna was eventually convinced to disrobe, getting applauded by the boys. She really looked just as shapely as Lilly. Despite the differences in hair color and breast size, both girls looked extremely attractive. The boys had some problems controlling their reactions, but both were well behaved and would do nothing to offend their girlfriends.

Harry felt extremely horny after watching his wives playing in the pool. He hardly even noticed the other women there. He was concerned about the youngsters being affected similarly.

"Can you cast a charm to prevent the boys from entering the girls' room and vice versa?" he asked Hermione.

"Why? Don't they have the right to enjoy themselves the same as we do?"

"Well, I'm worried about the girls. They're still too young..."

"We had Lilly at that age..." Hermione reminded him.

"Weren't you too young to be a mother then?"

"I was. Luckily I had my parents' support the whole way."

Hermione cast some "modesty" charms on the children's rooms, not allowing visitors of the opposite gender. If the youngsters had been affected the same way as Harry had been then this was quite a necessity, although she was sure that the girls could easily dispel her charms if they wanted.

Once back in their room, Harry managed to satisfy both his wives before they rejoined their hosts for dinner, with enough stamina left for another round later that night. None of his wives complained about it.

Dianna was not as reluctant the next morning. She was the first to disrobe and jump into the water, calling "What are you waiting for?" to the others. She played in the water with her friends, brushing occasionally against Andrew, who made sure to give her as many opportunities as she cared to do so.

Lillian wasn't so bold with Julius, but when the time came for refreshments, both boys sported impressive erections, making the girls giggle. Lily felt actually very horny. She was glad that female arousal wasn't as prominent as the male one.

Harry couldn't blame the boys. Both girls looked extremely sexy and the boys needed to use all their willpower to exercise some control over their bodies. He wondered if he could have acted so well at their age.

Lunch gave only a small relief of the sexual tension, as the women only put some loose T-shirts on, which did nothing to hide their erect nipples and were too short to hide their upper thighs when they moved. They all retired for some rest afterward. Harry enjoyed both his wives again just as they enjoyed him.

They were all hoping that the children released their tensions differently. They thought the girls, at least, were too young for anything else.

Luckily, the girls agreed with their parents at that point. While they enjoyed teasing the boys and watching them fight for control of their reactions, none was ready to take the next step yet.

When they reached the pool in the afternoon, it was a very different atmosphere. Some older friends of their hosts came to visit and enjoy the pool. With more elderly people around, the nudity lost most of its sexuality. It was still fun, of course, but not in the same way. Nudity now seemed like just a different way of (non-)clothing.

Emanuelle De-Poitiers arrived about an hour before dinner. She stripped at the edge of the pool and jumped in. Lilly was glad to see that her figure was no worse than Emanuelle's. It made her more confident in her looks and Julius's appreciative glances towards her helped as well.

"You know, most beaches there allow nude bathing," Emanuelle told the other youngsters.

"So, you were nude there as well?" Julius asked, noticing her breasts.

"Mostly. It's much colder there, and I sometimes felt like putting a warm sweater on and not like getting nude and entering the freezing water."

They moved to the villa the next morning. It was situated just a two-minutes walk from the beach and was fully muggle, yet this didn't disturb the house-elves, who were already accustomed to both environments.

Wearing only sandals and hats, the whole group arrived at the beach. It wasn't crowded yet and as everybody there was nude, nobody paid them any special attention. Hermione even found it refreshing, not having to think about clothes at all. The girls enjoyed getting even sun-tan all over and the boys enjoyed the views.

Emanuelle seemed to pay a lot of attention to the passers by. "Have you seen that boy with the green hat? He's really cute."

"What's so special about him?" Lilly asked.

"Well, he's tall and handsome. He has nice muscles and seems to be quite well equipped."

Lilly shrugged. "Julius is all that and more. Why should I be interested?"

"You're lucky to have him. I'm still looking for Mr. Right, and this beach is quite good for finding candidates."

"It looks like many young men also think so," Lilly smirked. "They seem to check us over whenever they're near."

Emanuelle laughed. "That's understandable. You both look more mature than your age and there's something about you that seems to attract men of all ages. I wish I knew what it was and how to acquire it."

Lilly tried to check her aura and compare it to Dianna's. Emanuelle was evidently much less powerful, magic-wise. Her aura was thinner than that of any of the Potters, except for Narcissa's. It also lacked the signs that Lilly was now associating with attraction and kindness. Emanuelle was quite a typical upper high-class child, who felt like everything was hers by right and didn't know how to be compassionate. It showed in her aura and people could feel that, even if they couldn't see the aura. Dianna's aura had both kindness and attraction as well as a lot of compassion. As both girls had been raised by the same couple, Lilly wondered what caused the difference.

Once the day got hotter, they left the beach to find refuge in some of the air-conditioned shops.

"Aren't clothing shops redundant here?" Harry wondered, seeing several boutiques specializing in women-wear.

"Not at all," Emanuelle explained. "People still want to dress nicely for dinner or night-life, although most of these clothes would not be acceptable anywhere else."

She was just measuring a red dress, made up of a loose net. It still left her practically naked, with only a few red threads stretched upon her body, accentuating her curves and hiding nothing at all.

Harry felt himself get hotter just looking at her. He considered his reaction inappropriate, but the girl only laughed. "I can see this dress has the desired effect. I think I'll buy it."

They spent two weeks there. While it wasn't as sexy as the first experience with the nude pool, it still made Harry readier to fulfill his wives' wishes and the relaxed atmosphere helped him satisfy both twice or thrice a day. Hermione also felt relaxed. Besides having as much sex as she cared for, she also got a nice all-over tan and didn't have to care for her patients or her children, who were being cared for by the house elves.

The youngsters enjoyed this vacation just as much.

"Can we adapt our pool for nude bathing?" Lilly asked Harry a few days before the end of the vacation.

"I don't see any problem with that. It is already hidden from neighbors and passers-by and we can make it warmer or colder as we like. Am I missing something?"

"Well, would you allow us to be nude at the pool?"

"Why not? As long as you behave, of course."

"Thank you, Dad!" She kissed his cheek lightly and went back to her friends.

James had overheard the conversation. "Will you really allow her to bath nude in the pool?"

"Yes, not only her, though, but everybody. Even Aunt Molly."

James made a face. "That's not funny at all!"

Harry smiled. "Well, anybody whom you trust to keep it secret. You may even bring some of the girls from school..."

James turned red. "I'll think of that..." he said and hurried away. At seven, girls didn't seem to be an attraction yet.

* * *

**_Please Review!_**


	36. Chapter 36: Fourth Year

_**September 2008**_

**Ch36: Fourth Year**

With the fresh memories of their summer vacation, none of the four friends enjoyed the idea of going back to school, with its black robes, covering everything except hands and faces, with the cold, oppressive weather and the lessons and homework which left very little time for being together.

While on the Hogwarts Express, Lillian was contemplating asking the Headmistress for a heated swimming pool, open for all students. She didn't think it could be done immediately, but maybe if she convinced her, Minerva would be able to make it ready for the second half of the year.

The welcome feast went as usual. It was only after they all finished eating that Professor McGonagall stood to give her beginning of term announcements.

"There has been some major renovations done during the summer. The muggle-studies section was enlarged and we added some more modern instruments. The entertainment annexes to the common rooms have also been updated with a few new computers, all connected to the Internet. Yet the newest addition, one we've been planning for a few years already, is the Olympic-size swimming pool, built on the right-hand side corridor of the third floor, replacing some unused space. The pool is heated, as is the air in its hall, making it comfortable for swimming, playing water games and just relaxing in the water."

Lilly was almost shocked at the news. It was like a dream come true. She could see that Dianna and the boys were also happy with the news. Well, almost all students were.

"We shall give swimming lessons to those who may need them. All students will also have to participate in a physical fitness course and some of the lessons will take place at the pool."

"We don't have swimsuits!" somebody shouted.

"Everything will be explained and settled in due time," the headmistress answered. "Now, off to bed!"

There was an announcement on the common-room billboard the next morning. "_The swimming pool will be open Monday to Saturday from 4PM to 9PM, starting next week. It will be open to the male students only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; it will be open to the female students only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. No clothes of any kind are allowed in the pool. Teachers of the appropriate gender will supervise the pool during its opening hours._"

"That's no fun at all!" Lillian grumbled. Some of the other girls looked at her curiously.

She later told Brenda about her summer vacation. The girl looked at her disbelievingly. "You were all **NAKED?**"

"Yes. It was fun!"

"And everybody could see you?"

"Well, yes. That's the whole idea – not having to hide anything, being just free of clothing."

Brenda was shaking her head. "It took me several weeks to just feel comfortable with the girls' common bathroom, and I'm still reluctant every time I take a shower, not knowing who may see me naked. Letting men and boys see me... I don't think I'll ever be ready for that."

Lilly smiled mischievously. "Don't you plan being a mother sometime?"

"Of course I do! What does this have to do with being naked?"

"A woman needs to be intimate with her man in order to become pregnant, you know. This usually means both are naked. Didn't you listen when we had that lecture on second year?"

Brenda looked uneasy. "It was so embarrassing that I didn't want to listen."

Lilly looked at her harshly. "You've been very close with Bob lately, haven't you?"

Brenda just blushed.

"Have you gone beyond kissing?" Lilly interrogated.

"Just a bit..." She noticed the inquisitive gaze in Lilly's eyes. "I've let him touch me under my shirt."

" Have you liked it?"

Branda's face turned dark red. "A bit... A lot, really."

"He touched your tits?"

Brenda looked alarmed. "What do you take me for? I only let him touch my back!"

"I take you for a hormonal teenager, just like I am. I know I like it very much when Julius touches me, especially my breasts and between my legs, and he loves being touched at about the same places. After this summer we both know exactly how each looks and what it is we're touching. You'll soon do the same, I'm sure."

Brenda nodded, too embarrassed to talk.

"You should know what to do and what to avoid, or else you'll either find yourself a mother at fifteen or lose the boy you like to someone who knows how to keep him happy." Lilly seemed almost furious.

"What should I do then?" Brenda asked, quite overwhelmed.

"I think you should first go to Madam Pomfrei and ask her to give you her lecture again, paying utmost attention. Then I may show you a few photos from my vacation." There was a glint of mischief in Lilly's eyes.

It took Brenda a few days to act. Lilly acted much faster. She asked to meet the headmistress despite knowing how busy start of term was for the old lady.

"What made you request this meeting?" Minerva asked her. "Couldn't it wait for our regular meetings during the weekend?"

Lilly wouldn't budge. "Some things are better dealt with sooner."

Minerva raised a questioning brow. Lilly sighed. "You know we spend some time in France each vacation, don't you? This time we've spent most of it on the beach at Cap d'Agde. You know that place?"

The old lady smiled understandingly. "I used to spend many summers there when I was younger. I wish I could still do that."

"Why can't you?" There was real curiosity in Lillian's voice.

"Summers have become too busy since I've taken this burden and I also didn't think it wold look appropriate if I'm seen there."

"That's bullshit, aunt Minnie. There were very few magical folks there and we were the only British ones. Still, even if you're seen there, you have nothing to fear of. You have a perfectly nice body, as far as I can judge, and even if you have some scars from the war..."

"I don't have any," Minerve interjected.

"...you still have nothing to hide. You should actually be proud of your body and of the way you keep it trim."

Minerva sighed. She knew Lilly was right, yet prejudice and conservatism still ran high in the magical society. "I believe you didn't come here to talk about your vacation," she said somewhat sternly. She was too fond of this girl to be really stern with her.

"Sure! I wanted to talk about the pool, but it's really the same subject."

"Oh?"

"You see, students will go nude to the pool, won't they?"

Minerva nodded.

"You may also supervise there or just enjoy the pool yourself, I believe."

The Headmistress could already see where this was leading, but she let Lilly talk.

"Wouldn't it be more educational, not to mention more fun, if you let both genders bath at the same time?"

Minerva didn't expect this turn in conversation, at least not so soon. "Some families may not like this," she noted. "Just having nude bathing for each gender separately is revolutionary for many. Letting them all together will raise a protest, not to mention all the hunkey-punkey many of the older students may engage in."

"There will be no such things," Lilly said reassuringly. "I've spent most of the summer nude with Julius and we're still both virgins, just like Dianna and Andrew are. Most couples who want to do otherwise use the broom closets or unused classroom, just as they did when you were a student here, I'm sure."

Minerva blushed slightly as some old memories reawakened. She didn't say anything, but she was sure Lilly understood.

"That may still be too revolutionary a change," she said after a moment of thought. "We may do it after people get comfortable with the idea, maybe after Christmas and the new year." She now smiled mischievously, looking decades younger. "We may move there some of the body fitness lessons, though, in which all students should participate."

A similar smile appeared on Lilly's face. "May I suggest these be part of DADA lessons? One must be physically fit in order to dodge and shield as needed."

Minerva's smile widened. "That's a worthy idea."

Brenda looked very pensive for a few days. Lilly thought she knew why, but she let her friend tackle the issue with no disturbance. Eventually they talked again, when nobody else was present in their dorms room.

"Thank you for insisting I talk with Madam Pomfrei," Brenda said.

"It was just what was needed," Lilly shrugged it off.

"It was, yet you were the only one who cared enough to direct me. Did you know it beforehand?"

"Before that lecture? Most of it. My parents were always very open about answering my questions as were my grandparents, while they raised me. And I was a very inquisitive girl."

"You still are," Brenda said, blushing furiously.

"Yes, I am. I hope to always be fascinated and interested in learning everything I can. Mom still is."

Brenda seemed to think hard and then she looked a bit afraid, yet she asked what was on her mind. "Why were you raised by your grandparents?"

"Oh, that? My parents were too young when I was born and they still had a war to fight. They married soon after the war and then started raising me themselves."

Brenda was still pondering her answer, doing the math. It didn't seem to make sense to her. "What do you mean by them being too young? I can't seem to find their age then."

"They were about our age now, way too young to be parents," Lilly answered nonchalantly.

Brenda opened her eyes wide. "Our age? Your Mum had you at fourteen?"

"Well, she was closer to fifteen, yet my Dad wasn't aware of that for a few more years. Mom was very good at hiding her pregnancy and then my existence."

"Why would she want to hide it?"

Lilly smiled. Brenda was still so naïve. "Had you become pregnant at fourteen, would you be willing to let others know? Dad even thought it was all a dream he had, and was quite ashamed of thinking that way of his best friend. Boys take a bit longer to mature, you know."

It was too confusing for Brenda. She opted for a somewhat different subject. "You promised to show me your vacation photos. Can I see them now?"

Lilly took a small album from her trunk and enlarged it, waiving her hand at it. Brenda gasped at the display of raw magical power but said nothing. The first photo, showing Dianna, Andrew, Lilly and Julius naked in a group hug attracted her attention and made her blush again. She studied the photo carefully, trying to see everything in there.

"I can enlarge it, if you want," Lilly said.

Brenda nodded and the image grew much larger, letting her study all the details.

"Didn't it feel awkward, being touched by both boys, being naked and all?"

"No, it was fun, really. Andrew is still smooth like we are, yet Julius is starting to have some manly hairs on his chest. I like playing with them."

Brenda looked some more, paying special attention to the boys' genitals. "They aren't the same size," she noted.

"Julius is older and a bit larger. I believe Andrew will be about the same size when he matures, yet both look very impressive when erect."

Brenda looked alarmed again. "You've seen them erect?"

"Of course I did. They got erections whenever we undressed near them and whenever another shapely girl or woman passed near them. There were plenty of these, believe me." She turned a few pages, stopping on a photo showing the two boys with very impressive erections, while she and Dianna were giggling on the other side, their breasts wiggling as they moved.

"Oh!" was all Brenda could utter. Lilly enlarged the image for her to study and enjoyed looking at her face, which was showing her fleeting emotions.

"You think Bob looks the same? Will he have similar reactions for me?" Brenda seemed not too confident.

"Yes to both. Bob should be a bit larger, as he is generally larger than Andrew, and he likes you a lot. Just don't hurry things. Keep your mind and heart open to him and you will know how to keep each other happy without taking undue risks, I'm sure."

"Wow! You sound like my mother sometimes, not like a girl my age."

Lilly shrugged. "I sometimes feel much older, but I'm still a teenager and I try to live like everybody, although I have a feeling things may soon change for me."

"Are you a seer?"

Lilly smiled. "No. I don't know what will happen. I only feel there's a big change going to occur in my life and it's coming nearer. It won't be a bad change, but an important one for me. I wish I knew why I feel that way and how to be ready for it..."

* * *

**_Please Review!_**


	37. Chapter 37: Pools

_**Ch.37: Pools**_

The Potters had very good memories from their summer vacation. They liked the weather, they liked the sea, but most of all – they liked the freedom experienced by the lack of clothes. Yet, although they had a backyard pool, they hadn't had time to use it since coming back from their vacation.

"Why don't we do like the DePoitiers and enjoy nudity at our pool?" Harry suggested.

Hermione and Narcissa nodded approvingly.

James shrugged. "I don't care, as long as I don't have to watch Aunt Molly or Aunt Minnie nude."

Harry had to hide a smile. It wouldn't be long before James would really like to see all females nude, he was sure.

"I like it," Rose said. "It will make almost every day seem like vacation."

Hermione made sure to check all the privacy wards around their backyard. Harry urged the hedges to grow a bit taller. He trusted privacy charms, but a tall hedge would look less suspicious than a charmed area. He also added some warming charms. Britain is not famous for its sunny and warm weather. It wouldn't be fun to freeze at the pool, either wearing a swimsuit or not.

They had a sunny weekend. It wasn't warm by any measure, but the sky was blue with only a few fluffy white clouds for decoration and there was almost no wind. Hermione thought it was a good time for a maintenance tanning session at the pool. Narcissa joined her and Harry followed suit. Rose didn't need any urging to follow their example, especially since she didn't even have to go to her room and change. Only James grumbled a bit before undressing and starting swimming. He had found he liked swimming during the summer and was eager to keep in shape. With Teddy spending the weekend at his grandma, he didn't have any better occupation.

The smaller children enjoyed the pool as well, although only the shallowest part of it. Nudity had no meaning for them, as such small children are usually nude at pools and beaches everywhere, and Rose made sure they were staying safe, making it her role.

They heard the door-bell ringing about an hour later.

"Oh, my! I've forgotten that I've invited Eleanor for lunch!" Hermione said, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her.

She walked bare-foot to the door. Eleanor was standing there, clad in a warm coat. Seeing Hermione's attire she looked confused. "Have I come at the wrong time?" she asked. "I believe you've invited me for lunch today."

Hermione smiled at her in reassurance. "You came on time. I'm the one who forgot. We were just enjoying ourselves at the pool. Care to join us?"

Eleanor followed Hermione in. "Isn't it a bit cold for an outdoor pool?" she asked.

"Not really. We have some warming charms on it, so it feels as warm as a nice summer day; almost as warm as a Mediterranean beach."

Hermione was leading her to the backyard when she remembered. "Oh, I've almost forgotten. We've adopted nudity at the pool. I hope it doesn't disturb you."

Eleanor was less surprised than expected. "After what Julius told me about your summer vacation, I almost expected it, although I've never tried naturism before."

"So, are you alright with this?"

Eleanor smiled. "I am – theoretically. I'll probably feel extremely out of my element for a bit, until I get accustomed, but I look forward to the experience."

Hermione just smiled encouragingly as they went out. Had Eleanor been magical, she wqould have probably been a Gryffindor, judging by the courage she was showing. Hermione dropped her towel on a pool-side chair and grabbed a clean towel. "This is for you."

Eleanor noticed that the whole family was nude. She was especially aware of Harry's nudity and of him looking in her direction. She turned around and undressed quickly. Once nude, she followed Hermione into the water, looking extremely tense. She only relaxed a bit when the water covered her up to her shoulders.

Both women started chatting with her. She soon forgot her nudity. They swam a bit and then stopped near Harry, who was watching the smaller children. The water near him was only waist deep, leaving their breasts exposed. Harry greeted her briefly and turned his gaze back to the small children.

"Where's Rose?" Hermione asked.

"She went inside to bring a few more water-toys for her siblings and she asked me to keep an eye on them."

James, who was also in the pool, tried to stay away from the adults, yet Hermione noticed that he checked Eleanor over before she entered the water.

Rose returned soon, thanking her father with a warm smile. Harry turned to the women. "Hermione hasn't told me you were coming for lunch, or I would have not stayed nude. I hope you're not offended by our attire here."

Eleanor smiled, still a bit nervous at being so exposed. "I'm not offended. I was even looking forward to an occasion to try nudism. I just didn't expect it to be today."

"So, do you like it?", he asked, furtively scanning her body. She looked almost as nice as his wives. Her breasts were a bit less perky and her belly not as tight, but she was still in good shape and seemed quite fit.

"It does make me feel free, although I still feel a bit embarrassed about exposing myself to a man."

Harry smiled. "I don't think that should bother you. I've seen so much nudity during the summer that I don't mind it anymore. Still, I can see you look very nice. I think Severus was lucky to have you."

Eleanor blushed. She liked the compliment, yet it meant that he had looked her over. She allowed herself to do the same, admiring Harry's athletic build and glancing a bit downstairs, noticing he was quite well endowed. "You look quite nice yourself," she said, blushing some more.

"Well, I have two wives to keep me in shape," he winked at her.

They stayed at the pool another hour. Harry swam with James for a while and then joined the tanning women. Eleanor had already lost all her shyness and even asked him to spread some sun lotion on her back. They also ate lunch by the pool, enjoying the sunshine and protected from the cold.

When she needed to leave, Eleanor felt a bit sad to go back into her warm clothes. "You may join us here whenever you want," Hermione told her. "Just call us first to make sure we're home."

DADA lessons were turning into physical fitness lessons. The teacher, an American ex-auror, considered his students' physical fitness as important as their magical knowledge. "If you can't dodge fast enough or if you tire too soon, you're as good as dead," he repeatedly told his students. He made about half his lessons into physical fitness training, making the students run around the lake, do some sit-ups and pushups and then some exercises for enhancing their reaction speed, usually as part of some ball games.

As the weather got colder, the exercises had to be taken indoors. The pool hall was the only place that was protected from the elements, large enough for the exercise and well equipped for such activity. The first time he took the students there, many objected, but the professor wouldn't budge. He set personal example by being the first to get nude. Those who still hesitated were asked "Are you ashamed of your body? Do you have something amiss or malformed?"

Lilly wasn't the first girl to undress, unwilling to look too eager. She was quite proud at seeing Brenda undressing in the presence of all the boys. The girl turned as red as her hair, but faced her classmates nude just the same, overcoming her previous shyness. Others followed. Lilly noticed that Brenda, along with most other girls, were trying to watch the boys furtively, comparing their appearance and their assets, just as the boys did, not as furtively, while watching the girls. Lilly felt confident. She wasn't the most endowed girl or the most curvacious, but she was proud of her looks and she noticed many admiring glances.

"You'll have time to study each other later, after class," the professor brought them back to reality. "Now, follow me for a few rounds of the pool before we start swimming exercises."

By the time they finished the rounds, sweaty and out of breath, few could pay any attention to the nudity. They were all sent into the pool for a swim before going on with other exercises.

Despite the initial reluctance, DADA at the pool soon turned into the most favorite lesson for the majority of students. Only a few who were extremely fat disliked it. There were usually groans when the next lesson would be scheduled to be in class and not at the pool.

Minerva McGonagall kept her word. When returning from the winter holidays, a new announcement was made. "As you've already taken mixed gender DADA lessons at the pool, there will be no gender separation after hours as well. The pool will be open to both genders every day. You still have to abide by school laws and refrain from any unbecoming activity. At least one member of the staff will be present at all times at the pool."

Minerva hid her smile as the students seemed very happy with this announcement.

Lilly enjoyed spending as much time at the pool as she could, usually with Julius, Dianna and Andrew. Brenda and Bob also joined the group.

Unlike her first experience at the French pool, staying at the pool at school was usually almost devoid of sexual tension. Everybody was aware of the differences between the genders, yet the presence of the older teachers, the décor – consisting of fitness exercises drawn with stick figures, and the homework, which many brought with them so they could finish it while lounging at the side of the pool, acted to tone down the sexual feelings.

This didn't mean that they were unable to occasionally touch each other and not strictly hands and faces only, but it was all in good nature and fun, not leading to any forbidden activity.

Many were surprised to see the Headmistress come for an occasional swim, usually quite late in the evening. As Lilly suspected, Minerva was quite fit and looked decades younger than her age. She even joined a few ball games in the water, seeming almost as young as her students for a short while.

It was late one evening. Bob had already left, as did Julius and Dianna, leaving only the Gryffindor friends there. Andrew was talking with some other boys when Brenda Approached Lilly.

"You know, I really enjoy myself much better since you've introduced me to this," she said, pointing at her nude body.

"You're actually enjoying Bob more," Lilly smirked.

"That as well, just as he enjoys me. We're still only touching, and not everywhere, at that, but I feel much more confident now. I feel I can keep him interested in me for as long as I want."

"How long would that be?" Lilly teased her.

Brenda didn't seem to notice the tease. "I hope that will be for the rest of our lives." She now looked dreamy. "Do you think I'm falling in love with him?"

Lilly tried to sense her and Bob. "You may be, and luckily, he's also falling in love with you."

Brenda blushed. "I know he likes my body..."

Lilly looked at her. The girl already had very womanly curves and her breasts were a bit on the large size. Her fiery hair and her milk-white skin contrasted nicely. She could understand any boy who fancied Brenda, yet Bob had found more than that.

"He likes you, not only your body. You should remember that. You're more than just a body. You have a soul and a mind all your own and they are even more important than your body. They are what eventually attracts the right person and not your bottom or your boobs."

Brenda looked a bit bewildered at Lilly, who sounded too mature once a gain. "Well, it's still these assets that help the initial attraction, aren't they?"

"Sometimes..."

This conversation made Lilly think. She had been just a small girl when she started feeling attracted to Julius, although it was a very different feeling than she now had. Julius was keeping being her friend even when he was surrounded by older, more physically developed girls at school. Having become a curvacious beauty by now was nice, but it didn't change their relationship.

She tried thinking about Dianna and Andrew. Dianna had been still flat-chested like a boy when they had first met and they had become inseparable after she had accidentally hit him with an overpowered cutting hex. It was only later that she became the epitome of blond beauty, yet it didn't change their relationship.

Was Bob really attracted to Brenda for her "assets"? They had first met during their second year. Brenda had just started to bloom then and Bob had just been a small boy. She'd never seen him look at Brenda's tits before their third year, and he had become her closest friend well before then.

Yet Brenda could be right in certain cases. Many other girls didn't have friendship with boys since before adolescence. They might need to attract the boys differently. She wasn't sure. Lilly remembered Emanuelle at the beach. She had eventually found a boy to her liking and had spent the rest of their vacation with him, yet Lilly felt quite sure this had ended there, especially since that boy was a muggle.

Spring was coming and the weather was warming a bit. Some of the DADA fitness lessons were taken back outside. This didn't make the pool less popular, though. In fact, it was becoming so crowded that it was found necessary to limit the amount of time allowed for each student to spend at the pool. It helped, but not much.

Lilly didn't really mind. As much as she liked being close with Julius with no clothes, she was feeling almost as close even if they were sitting near the lake, fully clothed. She wondered what it meant. Despite being able to sense other people's feelings, this ability didn't help her understand her own feelings. "Am I in love?" she asked herself. "Can I even understand the meaning of 'Love'?"

They never mentioned this word, but she was almost sure now that it was love. Julius had never said he loved her, yet he was at her side every time he could and whenever she wanted him to, holding her hand, embracing her shoulder or just talking softly. She had never said it either, yet she longed for his company whenever they couldn't be together.

She knew Dianna had similar feelings with Andrew. She still didn't know where all these feelings would lead. She just enjoyed them.

'I'll ask Mom about it,' she decided, 'but only after my birthday. There will be a lot of work before it. I hope that won't be too late...'

She still had a feeling of a great change coming and she couldn't say what it was. She felt quite sure it was a good change, and a major one. Still it frightened her.

* * *

_**Please Review!**_


	38. Chapter 38 Fifteen

_This seems to be my longest chapter of any fanfic I've written. Enjoy!_

* * *

**July 2009**

_** Ch.38: Fifteen**_

Lilly wanted to celebrate her fifteenth birthday in a grand style, unlike previous years. She planned two celebrations, actually. One was intended for her muggle friends, including some from her old school near the Granger residence, whom she was still in touch with. The other was for all her magical friends. Hermione wondered what made her daughter change her habit.

"I feel like it's going to be my last birthday in a way. I don't feel like I'm going to die," she added hastily, seeing her mother's concerned look, "but I feel like I'm going to have a major change in my life. I don't know what it means and what the change may be, yet I don't feel any dread. I only feel a major change."

"How long have you had this feeling?" Hermione asked, still deeply concerned.

"Oh, for more than a year, only it has become more urgent lately, like the event is coming much closer. It actually frightens me, although there is no threat or fear in that feeling of premonition."

Hermione hugged her daughter. Premonition was serious business among the magical folks. It wasn't exactly Divination, but close enough and much more common. Knowing how powerful Lilly's magic was, such a feeling was quite disturbing for her. "OK, Lilly. We'll celebrate as you want it and hope that whatever change will come would prove beneficial."

Lilly indulged a bit more in her mother's hug. That premonition made such hugs even more important and she wanted to cling to her childhood for as long as she could, feeling it would soon end quite abruptly.

The first week of July was spent on preparations. They intended both parties to be held in the backyard, near the large pool. Harry erected some fences to prevent the children from wandering into the pool area by mistake. They would still be able to use the pool, but only by going around and deliberately opening a gate. Long tables were prepared, set around the party area in a "U" form, opening toward the house, and a few tens of chairs were prepared near the tables.

Lilly didn't want to celebrate before her birthday, nor delay any celebration to another day. This meant she had both parties the same day. She had invited all her muggle friends late in the morning while the magicals were invited for the late afternoon. Julius and Andrew, as well as Janette, were invited to both parties.

Some of her muggle friends arrived as early as ten o'clock using public transportation. Others enlisted their parents as chauffeurs and arrived closer to the time on the invitations – eleven o'clock. All seemed to take note of the comment about the pool, bringing swimsuits as well.

They first stayed at the party area, enjoying the various foods and beverages served there, but as soon as their hunger and thirst were sated, the party moved into the pool. Nobody was nude, yet the skimpy bikinis most girls were wearing made the atmosphere even sexier than full nudity. Still, nothing inappropriate was allowed. Both Harry and Hermione were present, staying in the background, to assure proper behavior of the young visitors.

By three o'clock, when the guests were starting to leave, they were all happy and wishing Lilly a similar party for her sixteenth birthday.

Once the last guest left, the house-elves took over, cleaning, arranging and preparing the next party, while Lilly, her family and closer friends retired for some needed rest before the next party would start.

Three hours later, they were all rested and ready for the next wave of visitors.

The magical party was even more enjoyable. After having the nude pool at Hogwarts, nobody bothered with swimsuits. Once the party moved to the pool, everybody got naked. Surprisingly, or maybe not, the atmosphere was much less sexy than during the morning party. Only Joanne was a bit reluctant to join them in the buff, but only for a moment.

Lilly enjoyed herself tremendously. Both parties had been successful, all her friends behaved nicely and she enjoyed meeting some whom she had not seen for a while. Yet by ten in the evening, when the last guests were leaving, she was starting to feel tired. As much as she enjoyed her birthday, she only wanted to calm down and get some rest.

Julius was the last to leave. Lilly escorted him out and stayed a bit more with him on the other side of the door. Harry couldn't see what happened. He only noticed the view through the window getting momentarily much brighter, as if a bright lamp was lit nearby, before Lilly stepped in, closing the door behind her.

"What happened there?" Hermione asked her. She had also noticed the change in brightness.

"We kissed," Lilly answered dreamily. "We really kissed for the first time. It felt so wonderful, as if I was riding on a bright ray of sun. Everything seemed to suddenly glow in a golden hue. I wish he didn't have to go..."

Hermione seemed more concerned now. "Tell me exactly what happened, please."

Lilly sighed contentedly. "We talked a bit. Julius said that he had finally realized we were more than just friends and he said I should consider it as another birthday present. He then told me, 'I love you with all of my heart'. I said I loved him just as much and then we kissed. I closed my eyes, yet there seemed to be some golden light that penetrated through my closed eyelids. When I opened my eyes, everything seemed to be glowing gold. It was just wonderful!"

She turned around, as if dancing with her hands spread wide and then she suddenly paled and fell unconscious. Only Harry's fast reflexes saved her from banging her head on the floor. He lifted her gently and deposited her on the sofa. "What's happening to Lilly?" he asked Hermione.

She frowned, trying to recall data from her vast memory. "No, it can't be!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"What can't it be?" Harry asked. By now he was joined by the rest of the family. Dianna looked especially worried.

"A soul bond!", Hermione answered, almost screaming. "It's not supposed to happen so young. It's such a rare occurrence! Why her?"

She thought for another moment. "She needs to stay close with Julius. He probably needs her just the same."

Dianna spoke now. "I can see their connection. I can follow it and find him. Should I bring him here?"

Hermione didn't need to think much. "Yes. Bring Julius here. He's probably collapsed on the street somewhere. Please hurry!"

Without being instructed, both Teddy and James followed Dianna out. She walked briskly, following the connection only she could see, but none of the boys doubted her. They found Julius two blocks away from their house, lying unconscious on the street, with a few people standing around him, debating what to do.

Dianna moved swiftly inside the circle of bystanders. "I'm taking him to Dr. Potter," she announced loudly, as the boys grabbed each one leg and she grabbed Julius's shoulders. They lifted him slowly. Dianna cast a silent and wandless levitation charm and also a petrification charm, so they won't hurt Julius in transport. None of the bystanders could notice anything unusual.

Julius was soon set on the sofa, besides Lilly, and Hermione used "enervate" charm to bring them back to conscience, after making sure their hands were touching. Lilly seemed to regain conscience, yet stayed calm, just holding Julius's hand tighter with a happy smile on her face. Julius looked confused, though.

"Why am I here?" he asked.

"You collapsed on the street, shortly after leaving," Hermione told him. "Care to tell me what happened, starting from the moment you stepped out with Lilly?"

Julius blushed a bit and lowered his eyes. "Well, I confessed my love to her. Lilly said she loved me too and then we were kissing. I don't even know who initiated the kiss. We were suddenly engulfed by a golden haze and we seemed to be glowing ourselves. It didn't last long, though. We then said goodnight. Lilly went in and I started walking home. I only walked about a minute or two before I started feeling weak and then I collapsed on the sidewalk. I then opened my eyes here. Do you know what it means?"

Hermione sighed. "It looks like a soul bond."

Julius frowned. He had read this term somewhere, but he couldn't remember any details. "Can you elaborate?"

Lilly was fully awake now. Both youngsters looked well, as if nothing had happened to them just a few minutes before, and they both seemed eager to understand.

"A soul bond is a magical connection between two people, stronger than any bond created by spells or rituals. Soul bound couples are considered legally married. Nobody seems to know what causes these bonds, although they usually happen only after the couple has been intimate physically, which I don't believe you have."

Both teens blushed and shook their heads.

"I'll have to search through some of the old books," Hermione continued, "but I think that the lack of physical intimacy caused your collapse. You seem to be fine now, as long as you're touching each other."

Both looked at their hands and blushed.

"Would you separate your hands for a moment?" Hermione suggested.

They parted their hands reluctantly and hurried to entwine them a moment later, looking paler. "Can you tell me what you felt?" Hermione asked.

"I felt like I was losing myself the moment I let his hand out," Lilly said. Julius nodded approval.

Hermione thought for a moment. "We'll have to tell your mother," she said to Julius. "I hope she's still awake."

"She said she would wait for me to come home."

Hermione walked to the phone and dialed. "Ms. Jones? It's Hermione Potter. Can you come here?... No, nothing of the sort. He's well, yet we had a certain situation... I can't explain over the phone... OH, would it be alright if Dianna fetches you?... OK, see you in a few minutes."

She turned to Dianna. "Can you apparate to Julius's house and come back with his mother? She doesn't drive and it's too late for her to walk all the way."

Dianna nodded and disappeared with a crack. By now, both Lilly and Julius were sitting on the couch, their hands entwined, looking quite peaceful. Hermione knew some confusion and even deeper feelings will soon prevail. She hoped she could restrain Harry from doing anything rash.

Dianna returned a moment later, along with Eleanor Jones, Julius's mother, who looked quite confused by the magical ride. Hermione took control again, just as she used to do during medical emergencies. "Harry, please make some tea and serve our guests. Narcissa, can you make sure that the rest of the children are asleep? I need to check some books at the library before I can give any answers."

With that said, she apparated to the library. While it wasn't yet computerized and not even fully catalogued, she had already installed a magical equivalent of sorts. It was a system that gave a list of books containing certain terms or keywords, along with their location on the shelves. It was quite efficient for her current needs, although not as good as a computerized system that could give much more information at the press of a button.

She only found two books relevant to the subject at hand. One was dealing with all kinds of bonds, only mentioning soul bonds in two sentences. The other was dedicated to the subject, yet it was pitifully thin, testifying of the lack of understanding of this phenomena, still it included the one piece of information that she was looking for. "Normally, these bonds are made during or after the consummation of love between the parties, causing no undesired effects. In some rare cases, probably when one or both of the parties are of exceptional magical powers, a bond may be created without the consummation taking place. In those cases, the couple must stay in physical touch most of the time. Separating the couple may lead to loss of conscience, and if not united soon – even to premature death. It is recommended to keep the parties in touch at all times, although the best way would be to let the couple consummate the bond as soon as possible."

The book elaborated some more, but Hermione already had her answers. She went back to the living room, where the young couple was waiting, along with Harry, Eleanor, Dianna and Narcissa.

By now, Julius had already told his mother what had happened and she looked quite worried. Hermione decided to tackle that first.

"Well, Eleanor, welcome to our family. It looks like Magic itself blessed this couple, and we can only bless these two as well. According to what I've seen and heard, they were soul bound, which means they are now a legally married couple. I expect the letter from the ministry to arrive soon." She noticed Harry paling and sitting down, while Eleanor looked even more confused. Dianna seemed to be happy for the couple and Narcissa was unreadable. The new couple seemed to just be in a world of their own, not paying any attention to the others.

Harry was barely recovering. "Married?" he asked in a strained voice.

"Yes, a soul bond is equivalent to marriage," Hermione replied.

"Are you sure this is what has happened?" Eleanor asked.

"If I'm right, then a letter from the ministry should arrive any moment. Only if no letter arrives within an hour will I reconsider my conclusion."

Two owls flew in from the still open back door while she was speaking, positioning themselves in front of the couple. Lilly waved the letters free from the owls, who took off immediately. She read hers silently before handing it to Harry, who was sitting closest to her and turning to Julius, who was just handing his letter to his mother. "Well, my dear husband, I think it's time you kiss your wife properly," she said teasingly. Julius complied eagerly, despite a look of protest on Harry's face. As they kissed, there seemed to be some golden fog surrounding them for a moment.

Another owl, bearing the Gringotts crest, brought another letter to the youngsters. Julius took the letter after Lilly's magic untied it from the owl. "It says here we should come to Gringotts at our earliest convenience to discuss our holdings," he said, a bit confused.

Hermione took control once again. "Congratulation, you two. Not only are you now married, you're also emancipated, which means that you're legally adults. Now, you're probably wondering how long you'll have to hold hands constantly." Both nodded. "That depends on what you're going to do. If you continue acting like children, it may take quite a long time, making your life very uncomfortable." The youngsters frowned at that. "However, you may act like adults, consummate your love like adults and be free to move apart at will. I may need to give you some more instructions if you decide to go that way."

Both teens were blushing deeply, and so did Dianna. Harry looked furious, but a stern look from Hermione and another from Narcissa made him reconsider. Magic had decided for him. It was futile to oppose.

Hermione decided to continue. "I'll have Lilly's room converted into a honeymoon suite as soon as we finish our discussion. Now, both of you should learn the contraceptive spell, as I don't think you want to become parents before finishing Hogwarts." She mentally added "Like I did."

"Maybe we should let them learn this with only you present?" Dianna suggested, making both Lilly and Julius smile thankfully at her.

Narcissa urged them all to join her in the kitchen, leaving only Hermione with the youngsters.

"You're embarrassing me, Mum!" Lilly complained as soon as the others left.

"Would you rather get pregnant prematurely? You two are going to have sex within an hour or two and you should know all the precautions to help you enjoy it without any penalty."

"I don't mind waiting some more, Lady Potter," Julius said.

"It's Mum, or Hermione, son. Why would you want to wait? The bond is pushing you towards each other and you should rather comply. Even though you've already been naked in each-other's company, using the loo with another person touching you, taking shower while still holding to each other or even just brushing your teeth using just one free hand may prove quite difficult. You'll experience these even before going to bed. Do you want to prolong your period of stress for no real reason?"

"No, Mum," both said dutifully.

Hermione first explained the contraceptive charm and how to use it and made both practice it until she was sure they did it correctly, although she doubted Lilly would need it, as she could do wonders with no spell at all. Yet she felt safer if both knew the spell. She then gave them a crash course on first sexual intercourse, making them blush even redder. "You should now go to the kitchen, say goodnight and accept your congratulations while I prepare your suite," she finally said.

Eleanor also stayed for the night, though she couldn't really sleep, her mind rolling with the events of the evening. Harry, who was sure he would have troubles falling asleep as well, found that his two wives had a wonderful way of helping him. After sating each wife he was too exhausted to stay awake even a moment longer. All thought about what was happening in the other room just vanished and he slept very well.

Lilly was surprised by the events just as much as anyone else, yet she no longer felt that premonition. It meant that this was the event she was expecting for almost two years. It actually relaxed her. She had also read a lot about sex, especially the first time, and felt quite confident in her knowledge. Her metamorph abilities could also help. Julius wasn't so confident. At sixteen, he was still a virgin, just like his wife. Lilly didn't let it disturb their first time.

As Hermione said, just undressing, or using the loo and the bathroom proved a major challenge when having to keep touching each other. Luckily, Lilly's magic came handy in removing their clothes, and the rest was much easier when nude.

Julius wasn't sure about what he should do once they were in bed. Lilly's reading proved beneficial, as she guided him to caress her body, finding the spots she liked his touch most, and returning the favour for him. Their bodies responded soon enough and Lilly took control, riding Julius and accepting his erection into her waiting body. It hurt a bit, but much less than she expected, and then it turned into a very pleasurable action. They were so preoccupied with each other that they failed to see the golden mist form between their bodies as they were approaching the peak.

With Lilly's directions, Julius managed to make her reach her peak first. Her inner walls convulsing around his member brought him to his peak a moment later. It took them some time to calm down, kissing and hugging all the while.

"I feel like I need a shower now," Lilly said, getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom. "Would you like to join me?"

Julius was almost falling asleep, yet he could never refuse Lilly. He followed her to the bathroom, finding her sitting on the toilet seat. "I was afraid I would hurt and bleed much more," Lilly said, looking at a few reddish stains on her thighs.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, a bit apprehensive.

"No, silly! We had to break my hymen, but it almost didn't hurt, really. Next time will be even better, with no hymen to worry about." She noticed he was getting aroused again just by the talking. "Would you like to try it in the shower?" she asked suggestively.

By the time the young couple emerged from its room the next day, it was almost lunch time. The two were still holding hands and both were sporting huge goofy grins. Dianna was the first to see them. "I'm so glad for you!" she said, hugging them both, and then hugging each separately. "Can you stay apart now?"

They let the other's hand go, just to show her they could, but then held hands again. "We can, but we like holding hands," Lilly explained.

"Now, I want to hear all the details," Dianna said with an eager expression.

Lilly and Julius exchanged glances. "I'm not sure I should tell you all the details," Lilly said with a mischievous smile, "but I think we can tell you a bit. You'll have to wait after lunch, though, we're starving!"

Dianna seemed to want to say something, but she just smiled.

They didn't get so easily with the boys, though. James and Teddy teased them throughout lunch. They were actually surprised that Lilly didn't react to their teasing, yet Lilly had all her attention on Julius, hardly even noticing what she was eating.

Harry noticed that the young couple didn't need to hold hands any longer. Lilly even left the table to bring a certain beverage during lunch and didn't seem in any hurry to return. He refused to let his mind process this data, as it could only mean one thing, something he didn't want to think about.

Dianna had no such restraints. Once they left the kitchen, she went with them to their room – Lilly's former room. She first noticed the changes: the single bed had been replaced with a large double bed and another night-stand had been added. There was an additional wardrobe now, probably for Julius's clothes.

"So, you really did it?!" she said. Both Lilly and Julius grinned but said nothing.

"How was it?" Dianna asked. Truth to be told, both had already heard some of the older girls talk about their sexual experience, but none of them was very close to either girl. Now it was completely different. It was not only curiosity that compelled her to ask. She was really interested to know how her sister, as she thought of Lilly, enjoyed her nuptial night.

Surprisingly, it was Julius who answered, blushing crimson as he talked. "It was awkward at first. Although we've already seen each other naked, this was different. We first needed to help each other get ready for bed, and it wasn't easy when we needed to touch at all times. And then... I didn't really know what to do and how to act. Luckily, Lilly had already read quite a lot about it. I wonder why..."

"You know I've always been an inquisitive girl," Lilly said, smiling at him suggestively, making him blush even more.

"I helped him, directing his hands where I wanted them. Once he got the hang of it, no more instructions were needed. We just responded to each other as our bodies dictated."

Dianna blushed at her next question. "Have you enjoyed it?"

Lilly's eyes sparkled as she answered. "Yes, a lot! Even the first time was marvelous, despite the slight pain. The rest was... fabulous!"

This made Dianna even redder, yet she had to ask, "How many times?..."

Lilly smiled dreamily. "I stopped counting after the third... and each time it was better than before..." Julius seemed to get excited by the memories. Both girls could easily notice this.

"Well, I wish you both a very happy marriage. I'll let you rest now..." Dianna said, leaving the couple alone.

Lilly turned to Julius. "Do you really want to rest now or...?"

He just engulfed her in a big hug and kissed her. Lilly didn't really need his answer. She was happy.

* * *

**A.N. **I believe this is a good place to end the story. Like in real life, most stories never really end, as life goes on, but an author should know where to stop. That means that this story is officially finished. I don't see myself writing another sequel, but no promises there...

This story has become a bit of a problem to write as it went on, due mainly to me having not planned it in advance. I've learned my lesson, though. I'm not going to post any new story until I have it all written, at least as a rough draft. This may also help raising the quality of my stories, I hope. You may check my other stories to see if it worked...

If you like my writing, please check my profile for other stories I've written, including some original works available elsewhere.

And as always – _**Please Review!**_


End file.
